To Feel Normal Again
by Keiko Fujiwara
Summary: Vincent has just started to feel normal again. There's just one tiny problem. Muirflield seems to be back in action! What will Vincent and Catherine do to stop them? More importantly, can they help each other along the way? I promise there will be romance! XD I've changed the rating to M to be on the safe side! Please let me know if you think it should be changed back to T!
1. Chapter 1

Note:

Because the series isn't too far into the plot and I do not know what the future episodes will be like, this will be a story of its own with spoilers from the episodes already played on T.V.

Hopefully, some more romance will kick in soon! XD

***Disclaimer: I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

"Where are you going?" J.T. asked as I slipped on a baseball cap.

"I'm going for a walk." I replied.

"A walk?!"

"Yeah. Just because I'm in hiding, I don't have to stay cooped up here."

"I know but normally when you say "walk," it tends to start with a C!"

"Give me a break, J.T. It isn't my fault that I happen to bump into Cath—"

"Vincent! Do you not remember that rather large incident with Muirfield a few days ago!?"

"I remember." I replied.

"Wouldn't it be best to, you know, KEEP YOUR DISTANCE? HUH?!"

"Relax, J.T. Nothing's gonna happen. Catherine just asked if I could meet her on the roof of her apartment building to discuss a case. That's all. If something happens, you'll be the first to know."

"Sometimes I wonder if your brain malfunctioned when they changed you." J.T. mumbled, knowing he wasn't going to get his way.

I rolled my eyes. No matter what happens, J.T. will always be…well…J.T.

"I'll be back later." I said as I walked out the door.

I chuckled when I heard J.T. mutter, "And he thinks I'm crazy."

I know J.T. can never understand my situation. No one can. For some reason, whenever Catherine asks for help on a case, something ignites inside of me. I think it started soon after helping that sick, little girl a few weeks ago. I was able to see a glimpse of a life I could have had if I wasn't changed into a monster. It reminded me of how good it felt to help people again. I'm not sure how to describe it but I think it is something along the lines of hope. And each time I see Catherine, that feeling of hope grows a little more.

As stealthily as possible, I jumped to the roof of her apartment building with ease and there she was; just sitting with her legs dangling over the building.

"You know that's dangerous, don't you?" I asked in a kidding tone.

She turned around and smiled, but her smile wasn't filled with joy; it was a longing sadness. Suddenly, all I could do was wonder if that sad smile was something I had caused.

"I've been through worse." She stated.

She's right. She has. Her mother was killed right before her eyes, she was captured by Muirfield and witnessed something she really shouldn't have—the monster inside of me.

"I'm sorry." I replied as I took a seat next to her.

"Don't be. If anything, I should be thanking you for the numerous times you've saved me." Catherine said.

"You have. A lot I might add." I laughed slightly.

"Well then, one more time shouldn't hurt."

"I guess not." Why does she still sound upset?

We sat in silence for a few moments before I finally asked, "What's the case about this time?"

"Oh. Right. First, I have a question but it might sound a bit weird."

"Honestly, Catherine, you're talking to a cross-genetic species. How much weirder can things get?" Sometimes she amazes me with her word choice. It's like she forgets who I am when she's talking to me.

"Right. Well, how long can you hold your breath?" she asked.

"About fifteen minutes. Why?" She was right. That was a rather bazaar question.

"We found a John Doe hanging by the wrists in a butcher shop. His body was nearly sliced in half. We were able to retrieve the body but, because of the dead pigs, we really can't do an evidence sweep for more than five minutes without feeling nauseous. I was hoping—"

"You were hoping that I would be willing to check the butchery out and find any evidence."

"Would you?!" she gave me a look of uncertainty as if she was afraid of rejection.

"Don't you guys wear masks for this?"

"Our gas masks were sent to be cleaned and won't be returning for another three days. We may not have three days before the killer decides to strike again."

"Why not call the bomb squad or something? I'm sure they're pretty protected as far as smell goes." I said.

"My chief doesn't want to call in the bomb squad for an unnecessary investigation. So will you do it?"

I sighed. How could I say no? "Sure. When and where?"

"The butcher shop on Madison Avenue. How about tomorrow night around midnight? I'm sure no one would be there at that time."

"Fine. What're you going to tell your chief when you come up with the evidence on your own?"

"I'll tell him that I happened to be walking by and noticed it somewhere." She replied.

"Okay…Well, tomorrow night, while I sweep for evidence, you get your story straight."

"Right." She replied as she continued to kick her feet.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Why?" she asked.

"You seem a little depressed."

"Oh…You noticed?" she asked, as if surprised.

"Care to talk about it?"

She inhaled a loud sigh before saying, "Today marks the ninth year since my mother's death. It's just hard to know the reason behind it but not be able to tell my father and sister about it."

"Losing someone is hard. Believe me. I've lost plenty of friends at war."

"How do you do it?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"How do you live your life knowing you can never return to it? How do it knowing there are people out there who love you but they can never know you're still alive? How?"

"I take it one day at a time." I replied.

We sat in another round of silence before Catherine finally broke it. "So, how did J.T. react when you told him you were going to see me?"

"J.T. was being J.T." I stated. "I swear, one of these days, he's going to have an ulcer."

"Luckily, he knows a really good doctor." Catherine smiled.

"For now he's lucky." I chuckled.

Catherine leaned her head against my shoulder and said, "Vincent?"

"Hm?"

"We never did talk about the night Muirfield captured me."

"I thought we did." I said.

"Not completely."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, after Silverfox showed me everything he wanted to show me, he made me an offer."

"What kind of offer?"

"He said that if I turned you in, he'd tell me about my mother." She said.

"Oh."

"I just wanted you to know that even though he bribed me with my weakest curiosity, I still didn't turn you in."

"I know." I replied.

I slowly wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to my side. Maybe I can feel normal again. Maybe feeling normal isn't just a wish after all. Maybe, just maybe, it will become my reality.

**Keiko Fujiwara: How was the first chapter?**

**I'm not used to writing in male pov so please let me know if you think it sounds too girly! XD**


	2. Chapter 2

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_I slowly wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to my side. Maybe I can feel normal again. Maybe feeling normal isn't just a wish after all. Maybe, just maybe, it will become my reality._

We had sat together for almost half an hour before I decided to take her back to her apartment. As carefully as possible, I picked her up and jumped onto the fire escape stairs. I quietly stepped down them until I stopped at her apartment window and slowly slid the window-door open. I slipped inside and gently placed her on her bed.

I took off her shoes and pulled back the covers before sliding them over her. She deserves a nice night of sleep. She's been through a lot and it's my fault for allowing her to be involved. Then again, how can I stop a stubborn woman?

I quickly and quietly exited her apartment and closed her window-door. She will never know how much willpower it took for me to leave her there, alone. I wanted so much to hold her in my arms and tell her everything will be okay, but I know differently. Everything is just beginning and I have no idea what will happen next.

The moment I stepped back into the chemical plant, J.T. started giving his 'I can't believe you're this late' lecture.

"J.T., honestly, don't you have something better to do than lecture me the same lecture I receive every time I'm out?"

"No. You want to know why?!"

Here we go again.

"Because while you and Catherine were having good buddy time, I was stuck here grading papers! And afterwards, I was so nervous that Muirfield had gotten to you, I began cleaning the room!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me why you like hanging out with her so much?! I have never seen you so fascinated with a single person before. Why the sudden change?" he asked.

"Being with Catherine makes me feel alive for the first time since ten years ago. I can't explain it but every time I see her, something ignites within me. It took me a lot of willpower just to come back here tonight."

"Don't tell me you two are starting to get all comfy cozy with each other."

"Fine. I won't." I rolled my eyes. "Are we done here?"

"Just be careful, Vincent. I know you like her and all but, like I said, it would be best if you kept your distance." J.T. said.

"I tried that the first time but that still didn't do any of us any good." I replied.

"Then try harder."

"I'm going to bed. It's been a long day and we could both use a good night's sleep." I said before leaving the room. I knew J.T. was right but part of me doesn't want to admit that I should stay away. Something inside of me craves to be with her. I'm not sure what it is but I'm curious to figure it out.

**(Catherine's POV)**

I woke up in the middle of the night, unaware of my surroundings. I was sure I was with Vincent a little while ago. I looked at my clock and realized it was 2 AM in the morning. Vincent must have brought me to my bed before leaving.

I reached up and turned on my lamp before hearing a loud knock on my door. As fast as I could, I grabbed my gun and said, "Who is it?!"

"It's me! Tess!"

"Tess?!" I nearly shouted as I opened the door. "What on earth are you doing here this early in the morning?"

"We have leads of who the killer will strike next." Tess replied.

"Who?" I asked.

"You."

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" I said, not really believing what Tess was saying.

"We're not. Evan found a crumpled-up piece of paper within the vic's stomach contents. It said, "You'll be next, C. Chandler." Do you know of any reason for someone to want to be after you?"

Um…Yes…about a thousand of different reasons. "No."

"Tomorrow we will be taking you to a safe house." Tess stated.

"What? That's ridiculous! I'm not going anywhere! I can take care of myself!"

"We're taking all of the precautions we can, Chandler." Joe said as he walked in.

"You have got to be kidding me!" There was only one group whom I knew would pose such a threat—Muirfield.

"Fine…Just one condition."

"And that would be?" Joe asked.

"Allow me to use my facilities in private." I replied as I brushed passed him, grabbing my cell phone along the way.

I closed and locked the door and turned on the faucet to drown out any sound. I found Vincent's burner phone number and pressed the talk button.

After hearing two and a half rings, I heard a quiet, raspy hello.

"Hey."

"Catherine? Why're you calling this early in the morning? Is someth—"

"Listen, I don't have much time to talk but it might not be a good idea for you to investigate the butchery. I have a good idea who is behind the killing."

"Who?"

"I'll give you one guess."

He was silent for a moment before stuttering, "M-muirfield?"

"It would appear so."

"H-How do you know?"

"Listen, I'll explain everything when I can but apparently I'm on literal house arrest. Half of my precinct is at my building and won't let me go anywhere."

"Cather—"

"Shhhhh…Just listen to me. I'm going to convince my precinct to allow me to do my daily routine. If Muirfield thinks I'm still working, they won't know we're on their trail. Before I leave, I'll place a note underneath the bathroom floor mat. Read it. It will explain everything. I promise."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes." I said. "Lay low. If Muirfield is indeed back on my trail, I don't want them finding you. Be safe, Vincent."

Before he could say anything to respond, I pressed the end button.

I turned off the faucet and walked out of the bathroom. Several of the police officers were staring at me, probably wondering why I was taking a long time.

"What? Can't a woman have any privacy?!" I snapped, causing them to look in different directions.

I pulled out my journal and began recording everything. This will have to suit for being my secret note to Vincent. I have to make everything believable.

Tess shooed all of the guys out and said, "Writing a love letter?"

"You could call it that." I replied. "By the way, I think it would be best if I continue to go to work tomorrow."

"And why the hell would I let you do that?!"

"Because, if I go to work tomorrow, the killer, whoever he may be, won't know we're onto his trail. I think I would be more protected in an office surrounded by police rather than at home with only a few policemen."

"You make a good point. We'll talk about it to the chief in the morning. For now, you get some rest. You look like you need it." Tess stated. "I'll be right back. I'm going to the restroom."

I nodded and kept my gun close just in case. I quickly finished up my secret letter to Vince and ripped it out of my journal before folding it.

If anything, this should explain what's going on.

There's no way in Hell I'm going to allow Muirfield to capture Vincent. He has a life to live and I'm going to protect that at all costs.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yay! Second chapter done! :3 Don't you love plot twists?!**


	3. Chapter 3

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_There's no way in Hell I'm going to allow Muirfield to capture Vincent. He has a life to live and I'm going to protect that at all costs. _

**(Vincent's POV)**

"What did _she_ want?" J.T. asked; emphasis on the 'she'.

"Damn." I cursed, almost throwing my phone against the wall.

"What's going on, Vincent?"

"Catherine seems to believe Muirfield is back on her trail." I said as calmly as I could.

"What?! How?!"

"She didn't tell me any of the specifics yet. She didn't have time because she's on house arrest. Many people from her precinct are at her apartment." I replied.

"Okay? Well, that's good! At least she's protected." J.T. said, trying to stay positive.

"J.T., you don't know what Muirfield is capable of. If they want Catherine, they'll get to her at all costs. I'm the only one who can stop this."

"Whoa there. Remember last time? Yeah, not such a great idea! Didn't Catherine tell you not to turn yourself in again?!"

"Catherine is in danger, J.T. I have to do something."

"Great! How about you lay low!? Muirfield can't find you if you don't leave this building. Besides, wouldn't doing something put Catherine in more danger? That will send a HUGE ALERT to Muirfield that she's more involved than they think!"

"Fine. But I'm not laying low because you said to. I'm doing it for Catherine." I stated before going to my room.

I can't lay low just yet. I have to find out what's going on. Going to Catherine's bathroom tomorrow is too risky. What if they know where she lives? They would most likely see me going to and from her apartment. Damn. If they know where she lives, she's in more trouble than anyone realizes. The moment she's alone, Muirfield will get what they want.

I quickly found her number in my burner contacts and called her cell. I have to speak to her. I don't care if her precinct is around.

**(Catherine's POV)**

I stirred in my sleep as I felt my phone vibrate within my hand. Ever since I ended the call with Vincent earlier in the morning, I wanted to keep my phone close in case he calls.

I opened my eyes and noticed the "BOBBY" blinking on my phone. I had entered Vincent's contact information under the name Bobby so no one can trace it back to him.

"Where're you going?" Tess asked as she heard me tip toeing to the bathroom.

"I need to use the restroom. Don't worry, sleep if you need to. I'll be fine." I said as I closed the door behind me. Instead of turning on the faucet, I turned on the bathroom fan, hoping that would drown out the sound.

"Hello?" I said with a groggily voice.

"Hey. Can you meet me at the roof of your building?"

"What part of 'precinct' do you not understand?" I asked.

"I'm not worried about that right now. So, can you meet me or not?"

"When?"

"In thirty minutes?"

"I guess but we can't meet on the roof. It would be too suspicious if my fellow workers saw me going up there alone."

"Where then?"

"There's a vacant apartment above mine. I'll just say I need to take a walk and I'll meet you up there. Can you be there sooner?"

"Yeah…I can be there in five minutes if I hurry."

"Okay. See you then. Oh, and Vincent?"

"Yes?"

"Please be safe." I said before ending the call.

I flush the toilet and pretend to wash my hands before walking out of the bathroom.

"What took you so long?" Tess asked, giving me a weird look.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Not really." She replied as I slipped on a hoodie and a pair of slippers.

"Now where are you off to?" she asked as I opened my front door.

"No where." Joe said, making me jump.

"Exactly." I said. "I'm just going for a short walk to wrap my mind around things. I can't get to sleep and so I might as well be doing something."

"Where are you walking to?" Joe asked as if I was on interrogation.

"I'm just going to walk around within the apartment building. I'll be fine by myself for a walk."

"Chandler, what are you really doing?! As your commanding officer, I demand you answer me this once!" Joe said in a nonthreatening tone.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine if you must know, I'm on my period and I don't have any tampons or pads. I thought I could go upstairs to the landlady's apartment and kindly ask her for some to spare."

"Right! Of course! Go right ahead, Chandler! Take the time you need!" Joe stammered, flustered.

I have to say, I'm getting pretty good at this lying game.

I took the elevator to the next level to make it look like I was having 'difficulties.' I can't believe I told that lie. Now Joe and the rest of the guys are going to be rubbing it in my face for the next hundred years.

I picked the lock to the vacant apartment and sure enough, Vincent was waiting inside.

"Period, huh?" he chuckled.

"Well I had to think of something believable, didn't I? Plus, I made the guys so flustered, my chief told me to take all the time I need. So, I say we have a good ten to fifteen minutes before they presume me dead or kidnapped. What did you want to talk about?"

"I thought it would be better to meet now. If Muirfield knows where you live, then they'd be watching the apartment building. Don't worry, we're safe right now. I made sure no one was watching the building. Anyways, what makes you think Muirfield is behind the case?"

"Evan, our forensics guy, found a partly dissolved note in the vic's stomach acid. It said: You'll be next, C. Chandler. I didn't think any other person or group would write that other than Muirfield." I said.

"Makes the most sense if you ask me. I hate to bring this up but Muirfield killed your mom. I doubt they wouldn't kill a teen boy in order to get you involved with the case."

"Catherine, you have to drop the case." He said.

"Well, considering that I have just received a death threat, my chief won't let me work the case anymore. Starting tomorrow and until this whole thing clears up, I assume he'll be giving me desk duty to make sure I'm safe."

"You're still going back to work?!"

"I have to. If I don't, Muirfield may think I'm on to them. That could potentially make things worse. Besides, I'll be guarded by at least fifty police officers throughout the day."

"Catherine, you don't understand. Muirfield will do ANYTHING to get to you. If that means exploding up your entire work building to get you alone, they will. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, Muirfield will find a way to get you alone."

"I know but I still have to keep living my life as if nothing has changed."

"You don't get it, Catherine! Everything has changed! You are a liability to them because you know where I'm hiding. They won't kill you right away but once they get what they want, they'll do whatever it takes to keep you quiet. Please don't tell me you're still considering on going back to work tomorrow!"

"I have to! I can't just run for the rest of my life, Vincent. You think I don't know what Muirfield isn't capable of? They murdered my mother in cold blood. Right in front of my eyes! Honestly? I don't know what to do! The only reason I considered going back to work tomorrow was to keep me from going insane! I can't just sit here and wait for them but I can't run either."

I really didn't know what to do. I tried to stay strong in front of my work peers but when I'm with Vincent, a wave of vulnerability washes over me and I feel weak. I saw things as white and black my entire life. Work was a constant, concrete thing for me. This? This is something completely different—ballpark different. I'm up against people I have no influence over.

We sat in silence for a few moments before I continued, "I'm sorry. I never thought I would say this but I'm scared. When I became a part of the police force, I knew what I was up against. I knew there would be risks but I didn't care. Yet, Muirfield is something entirely different. Just thinking about them is uncomfortable. I really don't know what I'm up against anymore! All I know is that they murder in cold blood but as for how? That scares me. That truly scares me. I could turn around and find my entire apartment building going down in flames. I have no idea how many lives I am risking by being involved but it's too late. Like you said, I'm a liability now, Vincent. They'll do anything to break that information out of me. What am I supposed to do?" At that moment, I felt my entire world crashing down as I fell to my knees. This was the first time I've ever allowed my emotions to overcome my senses. I was scared and I was hoping he had the answers.

"Catherine, I can't tell you. I don't have the answers. But, if there was one thing I had ever learned while in hiding, it was to listen to my gut feeling. If my gut was telling me to run, I ran. Not because I was being a coward, but because I wanted to live. Sure, some may see it as cowardice, but I saw it as giving myself a chance. I haven't been hiding for ten years for nothing. I've been hiding so that someday, I'll be able to start over again. I don't know when, in my lifetime, that will be but I have high hopes that Muirfield will get what they deserve. What is your gut telling you?"

"This may sound a bit crazy but…

**To Be Continued…**

**I know, sorry for the cliffy but I thought it would be a good place to end. I hope you have enjoyed it thus far ^_^**

**Keiko Fujiwara**


	4. Chapter 4

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Catherine, I can't tell you. I don't have the answers. But, if there was one thing I had ever learned while in hiding, it was to listen to my gut feeling. If my gut was telling me to run, I ran. Not because I was being a coward, but because I wanted to live. Sure, some may see it as cowardice, but I saw it as giving myself a chance. I haven't been hiding for ten years for nothing. I've been hiding so that someday, I'll be able to start over again. I don't know when, in my lifetime, that will be but I have high hopes that Muirfield will get what they deserve. What is your gut telling you?" _

"_This may sound a bit crazy but…_

**(CATHERINE)**

"…I want to face Muirfield directly."

I noticed the color drain out of Vincent's face as I told him what my gut was telling me.

"H-have you gone insane?" he asked, completely bewildered.

"Kinda…But hear me out. The main reason I think I should face them head on isn't completely selfish. I figure that if I let them find me or rather I come to them, they wouldn't try to hurt my friends and family."

"And what would you do when you don't accept their terms?" Vincent asked.

"Kick butt?" I wasn't really resourceful at this moment. Muirfield is at a completely different league than what I'm normally up against.

"Catherine, Muirfield will kill you like they did your mother if you don't comply. I know you want to face them but have you seriously thought this through? If there's no way you'll let me turn myself in, there's no way I'm going to let you confront them."

"I've told you what I feel my gut is telling me. What else is there? If I hide or run, they'll kill my friends and family until I come out of hiding myself. I can't risk that, not even for a second."

"I know but I can't allow you to risk your life in order to keep my identity a secret. The best way to solve this is for me to turn myself in, again." He said with hesitation.

"No."

"There's no other choice! In order to keep you safe, I have to!"

"No. There's got to be another way." I replied.

"Look. Right now, there's really nothing we can do. You go back to your apartment and get some more sleep. I'll stay in this building for the remainder of the night after scouting out the area one more time. Think of a way to get rid of your precinct tomorrow. Don't go to work and don't go anywhere else. Call your family and make sure they're okay. Family is important; I know that more than anyone. The less people you are around, the better. In the morning, around ten, I'll sneak into your apartment and make sure you're safe. Okay?"

"I can't make you do that."

"Catherine, I want to protect you." He said quietly.

"What about J.T.?"

"Trust me, J.T. will be fine. Sure, he may blow a gasket but other than that, he'll be fine. I'll call him after you leave and explain." He replied.

I nodded as he offered his hand to help me up. Without hesitation, I took it and smiled. Somehow he has a way of making me feel better. I don't know if it is his charisma or his manners but whatever it is, it attracts me to him.

"Can you walk?" he asked as he noticed my knees were still a little bit wobbly.

"Yes. I'll be fine." I smiled.

"We'll get through this, Catherine. Trust me. I don't know how but we will."

I nodded and turned for the door. Before I opened it, I spun to look at him one more time. "Vincent?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." I whispered before leaving the vacant apartment. I wonder…Would it be too soon to be falling for him?

As I made my way downstairs, Joe was the first person to confront me.  
"One more minute and I would have turned this place upside down, looking for you."

"Chill, Joe. As you can see, I'm fine." I replied as I walked back to my apartment.

"Are you?" Tess asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if it were me, I'd be shaken up. I don't care if I am a cop. If someone were making a death threat towards me, I'd be seriously pissing my pants." Tess replied.

"Honestly? I'm not sure what to think of it. I mean, yeah, I guess you could say I'm a bit nervous but that doesn't mean I'm going to hide from my problems." I lied. To hell with nervous, I'm petrified. I just can't show it because I'm up against Muirfield—something they don't need to know about.

My team allowed me to sleep for the small remainder of the night. I'm glad they did; otherwise, I'd be a zombie during the day.

The next time I woke up was close to nine in the morning.

I stretched and heard Joe say, "Good morning, Sunshine."

"Honestly, do you have to be here when I wake up?" I asked.

"I was allowing Tess to get some sleep. She was awake for more than half the night, making sure you were safe."

"Right." I said. "Now, if you would please, I would like some privacy so I can take a shower and dress for the day."

"How long do you think you'll need?"

"Forty-five minutes?"

"Forty-five minutes?! Are you planning on having a concert in the shower too?!"

"Joe, I am a woman. Women need more time than men when it comes to readying themselves for the day. Drop it." I was tired of his bombarding questions.

"But you're a different kind of woman."

"Oh? And what kind is that?"

"A kind that I don't pic—never mind. I'll give you your damn forty-five minutes."

"Oh. And Joe?"

"Yes?"

"I won't be coming in for work today. I've decided to stay at home where it's probably safer. No need for a team to be here. I'm going to call and invite my family over so I can have some time with them in case things go south." I lied.

"Sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes. I have my gun. If anything happens, you'll be the first to know. Remember, you're on speed dial."

"You better bet your ass I am!" he exclaimed as I walked towards the bathroom.

"I better see everyone gone by the time I get out. That includes Tess." I said.

"Okay. You have fun with your family when they come. Give them my hello." Joe said.

"Right. I will. Now, can I please have some privacy?"

"Oh. Sure." Joe said before leaving the room. I'm sure once I'm in the shower, he'll grab Tess and leave. Okay, so I'm not inviting my family over but I needed one hell of a cover for the day and that was the best I could think of.

**(VINCENT)**

I have to say, when Catherine needs to, she's a pretty damn good liar. I never thought her chief would believe all of her latest lies. Then again, they all were pretty believable.

I had called J.T. earlier in the morning and sure enough, he flipped. I had to hold the phone almost ten inches from my ear so he wouldn't pierce my already sensitive eardrum. Like I said I would, I scouted the area and saw no sign of Muirfield. Either they don't know where Catherine lives or they want us to believe they don't know. In either case, it still isn't very safe to assume one over the other.

I could hear all of the police men and women leaving the apartment building as Catherine took her shower. I waited a good fifteen minutes after hearing the shower turn off before climbing down the fire escape stairs.

I peered through her back window and noticed she wasn't in there. She was probably still in the bathroom. Taking this opportunity, I slid the window-door open and slipped through her window. I then pulled the curtain in front of the window so, if Muirfield is in fact lurking in the area, they can't see what's going on.

I took a seat on her couch as I heard the bathroom door open. Good, she's out.

What I didn't expect was Catherine walking out of the bathroom in only a wet, white towel with her wet hair clinging to her face.

Before she could scream, I ran up to her and covered her mouth.

"What on earth are you doing here?! I thought you said 10!"

"I did but I heard all of your work buddies leave and I waited 15 minutes after hearing the shower go off before coming down here! I assumed you'd be fully dressed!" I waved my hands to defend my intentions. I was sure my face was as red as a cherry.

"As you can see, I'm not!"

Instead of arguing with her, I turned around. I mean, she still have some covering on so it isn't like I'm a pervert or anything. Besides, I waited 15 minutes! Fifteen minutes! If that's not honorable, I don't know what is anymore.

**(CATHERINE)**

I can't believe that just happened. Why didn't I just look out into the room before walking out?! That's right, I live alone and I'm not used to the company of the XY chromosome.

When I saw him turn around in complete embarrassment, I almost started to laugh. Never have I ever met someone so….chivalrous before. He didn't even argue that much. In fact, I noticed he was struggling not to stare. Quickly, I grabbed my clothes and walked back into the bathroom. The last thing he needs to hear is me slipping off the towel and slipping into my clothes…Then again, he has super hearing. I guess it just feels less awkward.

After I finished dressing myself, I walked out and found Vincent still turned around.

"You know you could have regained your composure when I went back into the bathroom." I laughed lightly.

"Oh. Right." He replied; still as red as a tomato.

He took a seat on the couch and I the armchair. "So, what do we do all day?" I asked.

Shaking off his embarrassment, he said, "I think the object of today should not to be worried about Muirfield. I feel that if we continue to try to investigate them, we'll bury ourselves into more trouble. Right now, we just lay low and not focus on them. As much as I want to know their motives, we don't have any leads to where they may be hiding or what they plan to do. While you were changing, I took liberty and closed all of the curtains and locked all of the doors. If anyone tries to come up here, I'll know. Also, I've somewhat memorized what your chief and work partner sound like so I'll know if it is them and not an intruder."

"Okay but you still didn't answer my question. What do we do all day?" I reiterated.

"Well…considering I live in an old chemical plant where the outlets are considered ancient and therefore I do not have a T.V., I can safely say we should watch a movie or something." He said.

I couldn't help but laugh at his choice of words.

"What movies have you seen?" I asked.

Nothing in the last ten years." He replied.

"What was the last movie you saw?" I was curious. If there was a time to get to know more about his personal life, now is a good time as any.

"Don't you dare laugh." He stated.

"I won't." I smiled, knowing that was probably impossibility.

"The last movie I saw before I went off to war was _A Walk to Remember_."

That definitely wasn't something I expected. I actually didn't laugh. In fact, I like that movie. I think that any guy who is willing to confess ever seeing that movie is a true man at heart. "Did you watch it all the way through?"

"Yes. I did." He simply stated.

"Who did you see it with?" I wonder if there was ever a special girl in his life.

"I saw it in theaters with my mother. It was the last weekend before I had to leave and she wanted to do something special. Nicolas Sparks is her favorite author, so I took her to see it as a surprise. That was the last time I ever spoke to her." He said softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to remember bad memories." I said sympathetically.

"Don't be. It wasn't a bad memory. In fact, compared to the past ten years, it is one of the greatest memories I have. I like talking about my mom…I don't get to do so with J.T. since he isn't exactly what I call a sympathetic talker."

"I bet. Is she…" but I couldn't finish my thought. Maybe I had probed too far.

"Is she still alive?" he asked, finishing my question.

I slowly nodded, looking shameful for asking such a thing.

"I'd like to think so." He replied. "I can't tell you. The moment Muirfield decided to kill us off; I chose to go into hiding. That meant completely cutting off ties with the rest of my life. I haven't seen her since nor have I dared to look for her. It is too risky and I don't want her to think me ill. If and when Muirfield is finished, I may reconsider but for now, I can't even think about looking for her."

"What if I told you I could use my resources to find out if she's alive?"

"No. As much as I would love for you to do that, it's too risky. Muirfield would know if there was a search put on any family member of any of the chosen." He replied.

"Perhaps when Muirfield is put a stop to, we'll have this conversation again." I said with a smile.

"Perhaps." He said.

"I'll be right back." I stated before disappearing into my room to look for a certain DVD. As I came back, I said, "Since you wanted to watch a movie, I happened to have _A Walk to Remember_. Would you like to watch it with me?"

For a moment, I swore I saw a true smile—something I may not ever see in a long time. I took that as a yes and started to set the system up. "You know, if you're ever bored at night, don't hesitate to come over and watch a movie…Just call first. I may have company." I laughed.

"I may take you up on that once this Muirfield business is taken care of."

I didn't want to think about Muirfield at the moment. I just wanted to enjoy this day with Vincent. Even if he was "protecting" me, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy himself all the while. As the commercials began to play, I said, "You want something to drink and/or eat?"

"No thanks. I'm good." He replied.

Instead of sitting in the armchair, I took a seat next to him on the couch. I had no bad intentions; just wanted to be friendly. He doesn't need to feel like I'm keeping my distance. He shouldn't feel that way. As much as he's protecting me, I want to protect him from his insecurities. I want him to know he has nothing to be ashamed of. Despite his anger problem, he seems pretty tamed. I don't want him to think I fear either part of him.

**(VINCENT) **

I can't lie. I was thrilled when Catherine decided to sit closer to me. I can't explain it but it makes me feel a notch closer to normal. Even J.T. doesn't sit that close. Then again, he is J.T. But still, maybe she's telling me that she's not afraid of me. Here she is, risking her life sitting this close to me yet she doesn't even flinch. She knows I could have a sudden impulse to become the Monster inside of me but she doesn't run. She doesn't stay away. Here, I could do much worse than what Muirfield could do but she still trusts me even after seeing those videos. Maybe she knows I won't hurt her. I have been able to keep a tighter lid over my bloodlust urges when I'm the Monster.

As the movie progressed, I noticed she was getting sleepy. She did have a long night after all. By the time Jamie was singing her song, Catherine had fallen asleep against my shoulder. I couldn't help but smile. I wonder if she knows what she does to me. Instead of turning off the movie, I continued watching it until the end. I have to say, despite Catherine falling asleep on me (literally, I might add), I enjoyed our time together so far. If things were to ever go beyond what they are now, I'm convinced it could work between us. The question is, is she?

As the credits rolled upward on the screen, I slightly shook her until she opened her eyes.

"Is the movie over?!" she asked with a groggily voice.

"Yeah…It just finished." I chuckled.

"Sorry I fell asleep…I was just so tired." She replied.

"I know. That's why I didn't try to keep you awake." I said. "Thanks for letting me watch that movie. It brought some great memories back for me."

"You're welcome. I'm just sorry I missed more than half of it."

"Don't sweat it."

"So…now what?" she asked.

"You're guessing is as good as mine." I stated, smirking.

"We could eat lunch?" she suggested as she sat up.

"Sure." I replied before she led me into her kitchen. Today was going to be interesting; I can say that for sure.

**Keiko Fujiwara: BAM! Chapter 4 DONE! XD**

**TELL ME IF YOU LIKE IT THUS FAR AND WHAT YOU HOPE FOR IN THIS FANFICTION! XD **


	5. Chapter 5

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_So…now what?" she asked. _

"_You're guessing is as good as mine." I stated, smirking. _

"_We could eat lunch?" she suggested as she sat up. _

"_Sure." I replied before she led me into her kitchen. Today was going to be interesting; I can say that for sure. _

**(CATHERINE)**

I can't lie, today, so far has been rather….interesting. First of all, I am so not used to company, so I wasn't sure if I was being a good hostess or not. Although it has been rather different having him over for more than a casual conversation, I like it. For some reason, he's acting a bit different today. Part of me thinks it is because this is the first "human" connection he's had in ten years—other than J.T. of course. The other part of me doesn't really know what to think. When I first met him—and I'm not talking about when he saved me nine years ago, I'm talking about when I confronted him in the chemical plant—he was very…how should I put it…anti-social. Aside from occasionally saving me, it appeared as if he didn't want anything to do with me. I couldn't have that. He saved me nine years ago as well as countless times recently. I owe him my life and I don't care if he has a bit of a Hulk side to him—I'm going to repay that debt.

This might seem weird but I was really fascinated with him when he ate. At work, everyone talks with their mouth full and has no regard for manners—especially Joe. Every so often, I would look up from my sandwich plate and he would be eating as if it was his last meal and he wanted to savor it.

"How long has it been since you've had a decent meal?" I asked before I thought about what I was really asking.

"Well, when you live with someone like J.T., you can only expect packaged food. Like I said, the chemical plant's power is ancient so there's no way we could have something as simple as a microwave because it would blow the place up. Occasionally we have pasta when the Bunsen Burner is out but other than that, it is mostly things that don't go bad. Believe me, as simple as a sandwich is, it is loads better than most of the food I eat at the plant."

"Well I'm glad my elite sandwich skills appeased your appetite." I smiled.

"Very much so." He chucked before taking another bite of his sandwich.

We finished eating our lunch in silence because we really didn't have too much to say at that point. Before I could object, he took my ceramic plate from in front of me and started washing our dishes.

"I could always wash those later." I stated as I put the mayonnaise away.

"Don't bother. I like helping out when I can." He replied. I didn't object because a part of me felt bad for him. He actually wanted to do the simple chores I tend to always procrastinate on and he's not even complaining about it.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me." He suddenly said.

"How—"

"If you're thinking I was also given mind reading capabilities, you are quite mistaken." He chuckled but then went back to seriousness, "I could hear your blood slowly flowing to one side of your head which indicates that you either are or were tilting your head. That's a simple implication of sympathy."

"Oh." I replied, with a slight blush. Luckily he was still turned away.

"Now you're blushing. Your blood is now flowing to your cheeks."

Or not. "I can't get away with anything can I." I laughed.

"With me around, there's almost no guarantee. You see, if I wasn't a doctor beforehand, I probably wouldn't know all of those signals. But, as a doctor, we were taught how to recognize nonverbal body language in case our patients were trying to hide something."

"Can you teach me sometime?" I asked. That would work great when it came to interrogations.

"Maybe someday."

He finished up the dishes and then we went back into the family room. He sat where he sat during the movie and I sat next to him but we both had shifted our sitting position so we could face each other.

I have to say, outside of work, my life is rather boring. Until Vincent came into my life, I've lived a pretty simple life. Instead of watching a movie, we decided just to talk.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Hmmmm…Why don't we play a little game?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"How about twenty questions? You can ask me a question and I'll answer it. Then, I'll ask you one and you do the same. We could go up to twenty or we could just keep asking questions until we run out of them." I suggested.

"Alright. That sounds like it may be fun. I just have one request."

"What?"

"Please avoid all questions possible about Project Muirfield. You can ask anything before and after my military experience, just not during it."

"I understand." I replied, knowing I didn't want to reopen old scars.

"So…Why did you decide to become a cop?" he started.

"Well, I attended Princeton for law school and after my mother was murdered, I decided I wanted to be a cop. Cops have resources and I wanted to use those in order to search for the people who killed my mother." I replied. "Okay… My turn… How did you meet J.T.?"

"We are childhood friends. He was also my roommate for my first four years of college until I went to graduate school to become a doctor. During that time, I lived with my parents so I could save some money. Because J.T. was studying to be a chemist, he was the only one I could think of, at the time, who could possibly find a solution. Even when we both put our brains together, we couldn't create one." he then asked, "What would you have done differently if your mother wasn't killed?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I love my job so I don't think I would ever change it. My mother was a scientist. You know that as well as I but I certainly didn't inherit that brainy gene. Now my sister, despite her appearance, she's pretty geeky. She calls herself a 'Geek-in-Disguise' because she doesn't want others to know about her nerdy inner self." I laughed. "Yeah…So…like I said….I don't think I would enjoy another line of work. I know this may sound like a lame question, but what's your favorite color?"

I can't believe how terrible I am at this game. Trying to think of questions without involving Muirfield is hard. I mean, that's a big chunk of his life!

"Blue."

"Should have known." I laughed.

"Yeah. Typical guy answer, I know." He chuckled. "What about you? What's your favorite color?"

"Purple. I don't know why but I have always thought of it as a mysterious color. When I was younger, my mother used to grow these beautiful purple irises. I sort of fell in love with the color as well as the flower."

"Purple, huh?"

"Why? What's wrong with the color?!"

"Nothing. I had always thought you as a green-lover."

"Well, considering we haven't known each other too terribly long, I'd have to say, you were pretty close. Green is my second favorite color."

"Guess I need to work better on my analysis." He joked.

"We wouldn't want you to give the wrong prognosis, now would we?" I silently laughed. "Do you have a car?"

"I don't really need one considering I can get just about anywhere almost as fast. But to answer your question, yes. I do but it isn't registered to me. It's registered to J.T. Eventually, when the time is right, he'll hand over the rights to me."

"What do you have?" I asked, knowing it wasn't my turn.

"I'll just have to show you sometime. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." He answered. "If there was any place you would go to, even if for a one day visit, where would it be?"

"Oh…gosh…you may have to get back to me…There's so many places I would love to go to if I had the time and money."

"Just pick a place then."

"Fine…I would want to go to New Zealand."

"New Zealand?" he gave me a funny look. "Why there?"

"Okay…so I wasn't completely honest from the get go. I'm slightly nerdy…" I replied.

"And why is that?"

"I was a major _Lord of the Rings_ fan. One of my biggest and probably lamest dream is to go to the place where they filmed The Shire. In fact, if I could, I would visit all of the places _Lord of the Rings_ was filmed."

"I haven't seen any of the movies but I did read the books so I can understand your fascination with the story. The book series was a good one."

It's nice talking to Vincent. I don't get to talk like this much with anybody. Not even my sister. I hope I can think of better questions than just lame ones like favorite color.

**VINCENT**

I don't know what it is but I enjoy talking to Catherine like this. Having only one person to talk to for the past ten years really takes its toll so I'm glad I am able to talk about things J.T. and I almost never talk about.

She smiled after I told her I understood her fascination with J.R.R. Tolkin's _Lord of the Rings_. Then I added, "As a matter of fact, the book series happens to be my favorite series ever read."

"Really? Wow. Something in common." She laughed.

"Yeah..." Then she asked me the same question in return.

"What about you? Where would you want to go if you had the time and the money?"

There was only one place I would rather go to above any other place. "Home."

I could tell my response made her feel sorry for me. I can't blame her. She understands my circumstance unlike many other people. She placed her palm on my right cheek to share her sympathy.

Suddenly, an emotion I haven't felt in ten years filled my body. I had a sudden longing to be with her; to always keep her safe. I was beginning to understand what life I could have if only I was willing to submit to it. I placed my left hand against hers as my human emotions override my Monster's decree.

"You'll get your wish. I promise." Catherine whispers. "We won't give up trying to expose Muirfield."

I guess we both didn't know what to do from this point because our hearts were both pounding twice the normal speed. What can I say? As much as I know things may never be, I was falling for her and there was nothing I wanted to do more than to hold her and tell her everything will be alright.

What we didn't realize was that our spatial distance was decreasing by the millisecond. The closer we were, the more I wanted to be with her.

It was as if we were in our own little world. She had subconsciously wrapped her arms around my neck just as I had pulled her chin closer to mine. We were completely unaware of our surroundings. Just as I thought we were about to kiss, we suddenly heard a loud pounding on the door with Catherine's work partner shouting, "CATHERINE! IF YOU'RE IN THERE, OPEN UP!"

Instantly we parted and panicked. Uh-oh. This can't be good.

**To be continued…. **

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yay! Another Chapter done! XD**

**Just to let you guys know, I am madly in love with this show! So in love, it inspired me to write this fanfiction—which I have never done for ANYTHING other than anime. Well, I did do a HP one but I took it off due to…well…due to a lot of different reasons. BUT ANYWAYS, here's a question for you guys…. (Just because I'm bored and have no life haha)**

**IF anything, What do you look forward to with the series? XD**


	6. Chapter 6

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_I guess we both didn't know what to do from this point because our hearts were both pounding twice the normal speed. What can I say? As much as I know things may never be, I was falling for her and there was nothing I wanted to do more than to hold her and tell her everything will be alright. _

_What we didn't realize was that our spatial distance was decreasing by the millisecond. The closer we were, the more I wanted to be with her. _

_It was as if we were in our own little world. She had subconsciously wrapped her arms around my neck just as I had pulled her chin closer to mine. We were completely unaware of our surroundings. Just as I thought we were about to kiss, we suddenly heard a loud pounding on the door with Catherine's work partner shouting, "CATHERINE! IF YOU'RE IN THERE, OPEN UP!" _

_Instantly we parted and panicked. Uh-oh. This can't be good. _

**CATHERINE**

My eyes widened as I heard Tess's voice through the door. Damn. This cannot be good. Without thinking, I grabbed Vincent's hand and pulled him into the bathroom. "Quick! Hide in here!" I whispered as I pointed to the shower.

Vincent did so, no questions asked. I quickly closed the curtain so no one would see him and then opened and closed the bathroom door.

"Coming!" I replied before Tess decides to break down my door.

I opened the door to my apartment and said, a little breathy, "Tess! What brings you here?"

"The chief sent me to check on ya. How is your family?"

"Oh…They couldn't come, unfortunately. My dad had a huge conference meeting he couldn't miss so we decided on tomorrow." I lied.

"Why are you so out of breath?" she asked.

"Oh. I was way in the back, listening to music on my headphones. I finally heard you when you shouted so I bolted over here." Again, another lie.

"Is everything alright over here?" she asked, giving me a weird look.

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?!" Oh crap. I hope she isn't on to me.

"You seem…I don't know…flustered. Like you were about to kiss someone."

Damn. Right on target. "Well, as you can see, no one else is here! Just me! Now you can tell Joe I'm fine, alive and well. Like I said, I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine! I've got a gun and everyone in the precinct is on speed dial if necessary!"

Still giving me a weird look, she said, "Alright but I still think something's fishy…"

"Think what you want. Doesn't mean it's true."

"If you need anything, just call. Oh and it wouldn't kill you to call me or Joe every three hours or so. It would help us know you're still alive." She said as she walked from the door.

"Got it! Will do!" I replied as I watched her walk away. Boy that was close.

I closed the door and locked it once more.

Suddenly, I remembered my whole reason why I was completely flustered—Vincent. I could feel my face flush red as I recalled that brief, somewhat romantic moment between us. I don't even remember what we were talking about that brought upon the whole scenario. Wait…Speaking of Vincent…

I rushed to the bathroom door and opened it.

"Vincent? Are you still here?" I asked, hoping he didn't hop out of the window to make a grand exit.

"Yeah." He said as he pulled the curtain back. "Next time, I'll hide while you distract rather than you hide me then distract."

Next time? Was he hoping there would be a next time like that?

"Sorry…I wasn't really thinking." I replied.

"I could see why." He smirked, recalling a certain event before the whole Tess drama.

I backed out of the bathroom, one foot at a time, like a high school teen girl. I mean, I was that ridiculous. I could have sworn I let out a dorky giggle as if I had spoken to my crush for the first time.

He eventually followed me out of the bathroom and said, "I should probably call J.T. so he knows we're still alive."

"Right." I said. "I'll just…I'm going to go to the front lobby for a split second."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Trust me, Vincent; they'd already be here if it weren't safe." I replied before leaving him in my apartment.

Even though I told Vincent it would be completely safe, I took precautions. I made sure I had my gun and I took off my shoes to prevent any squeakiness. I snuck into the elevator, pressed the first floor, and stood on the side so, when it opened, no one could see me. When the elevator opened, I slowly peered out onto the front lobby and noticed nothing out of the normal.

"Ah! Catherine! What can I do for you today?" Michael, the apartment manager asked.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor." I said.

"Anything!" he exclaimed a little too energetically.

"Can you hold all visitors for me? I kind of want peace and quiet and don't want to be disturbed by anyone. Just tell them to leave a message and their number if they need anything."

"What about your chief and work partner?" he asked.

"Tell them to call me if they want to talk."

"As you wish, Catherine." He stated.

"Thanks." I replied and walked back into the elevator, anxious to see what the day brings me.

**VINCENT**

"Calm down, J.T. Nothing happened."

"You just told me her cop friend almost busted the door down while you two were getting a little too friendly! How can I NOT freak out?! What if she found you out?!"

"Like I said, nothing happened. We took care of the situation. Alright?" I said.

"How much longer are you going to be over there? I mean, you two have been pretty cozy for over half a day!"

"I'll be over here for as long as Catherine is in danger."

"E-even during the night?!" he stammered.

"Why is your heart racing incredulously fast?"

"I didn't know you two were THAT close!" J.T. stated.

Suddenly, I put two and two together. J.T.'s heart was pounding a million miles per minute; he emphasized the word 'night' and misjudged the relationship between Catherine and I. "Woah, J.T.! I think you're assuming the wrong things!" I was sure my ears were turning red at even the thought.

"I better be! You remember what you said when you first came to me?!" he asked, reminding me of a sole promise I made myself nearly ten years ago.

"J.T., that was then. Besides, this…what Catherine and I have…it's different. It's like nothing I've ever felt before."

"But do you honestly think it is in her best interest? Don't get me wrong, I'm just looking out for you as a friend."

"I'm taking it one day at a time, J.T. But, yeah, I believe we can make, whatever this is, work. She's the first person, aside from you, to ever know my secret and not be afraid of me." Suddenly, I heard Catherine walking out of the elevator. "Look, I've got to go, J.T. I'll talk to you later."

"But—" Before he could finish his thought, I ended the call and took a seat on the couch. The door opened and Catherine came back in, smiling.

"So, did you call J.T.?" she asked.

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure that the next time I see him, he won't have as much hair." I smirked.

"Then again," she said as she took a seat next to me, "He didn't have much hair to begin with."

"That is true." I said.

"You know, we never did get to continue that game of twenty questions." She suddenly stated.

"I think we got a little bit distracted…" I replied. Okay, for sure, if my ears weren't burning earlier, they are now.

"Just a little…" she whispered as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

Suddenly, I decided to ask something that's been plaguing my mind for quite some time. "Catherine?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you keep coming back after I first turned in front of you?"

She sat up and looked directly into my eyes as she took my hands in hers. "Before my mother died, she taught me to accept people for who they are. When you told me you were experimented on, I knew it was involuntary—that you didn't want to be that way. I had to give you the benefit of the doubt because I knew…call it a gut feeling…that you weren't dangerous."

"You do know that I can't control what happ—"

She placed a finger on my lips and shushed me before whispering, "I think you're wrong. You saved me plenty of times while you were transformed. Remember when you tried to turn yourself in to Muirfield? Not once did you try to hurt J.T. or me. Instead, you protected us. Don't tell me you can't control it when I can see clearly that you can. Sure, there may be some strength control issues but as far as your state of mind, I know you're still you. If you couldn't control yourself while you lose your temper, you would be a ruthless monster. You're not, Vincent. Now, I know you lose your temper at times, but doesn't everyone? Unfortunately, you have a slight side effect but that doesn't mean you lose your state of mind as well. Tell me, do you remember what happens while you're all hulked up?"

Somehow, as she had spoken, our fingers entwined. I don't know if she had noticed so I decided not to say anything about it. "I remember everything that happens while I'm, as you say, hulked up."

"Then you don't lose your mind during your metamorphoses. Your temper? Maybe. Your control of strength and power? Possibly, but not your mind, Vincent. That incident that happened five years ago? The one Muirfield showed me the results of. You told me most of it was an accident and that you didn't mean to go that far. Well, I believe you. We all make mistakes that we regret. I know I have. Sometimes, even normal…wait…who am I kidding…I'm not anywhere near normal. Anyways, most people lose their temper all of the time. That's when things happen like accidental murder. Even humans are guilty of it—so don't be putting yourself on another level when other humans are far more evil than what you could be."

Even if Catherine was the only person in the world to ever see me like that, I'd take it. It was better than everyone fearing me for the Monster inside of me. If there was a moment in time I would wish to pause and cherish forever, it would be this one. For the first time in my life, someone's actually seeing me for me. Not that I have a lot to say since I've been in hiding for the past ten years. But still, it was a pleasant feeling and I didn't want it to leave.

Suddenly, I noticed our current position wasn't far off from what it had been earlier. She released my hands and, once again, wrapped her arms around my neck and stood on her tippy-toes as she looked deep into my eyes. Before we could have anymore possible interruptions, I eagerly, yet gently, pressed my lips against hers. She had tightened her grip around my neck as my arms snaked around her back.

I could tell her heart was racing just as fast as mine as our lips continued to meld together. I smirked as I felt her fingers slither into my hair.

Even though I wanted to hold her longer, I knew we needed to stop. I didn't want my inner-Hulk to suddenly overpower my human desires and ruin any chance Catherine and I could have together. I pulled away slightly and whispered, "We should probably take this a little bit slower."

"Y-yeah." She stammered, out of breath.

The moment my lips had touched hers a few minutes ago, I instantly knew that I was falling in love with Catherine Chandler and there's nothing anyone could do to deter that.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yay! Another chapter done! I have to say, this is a record for me. ^_^ I love this series soooo much that I'm always excited to add more to the fanfiction! XD **

**PLEASE let me know what you think! **


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS TO THE AVENGERS (which I also don't own)**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_The moment my lips had touched hers a few minutes ago, I instantly knew that I was falling in love with Catherine Chandler and there's nothing anyone could do to deter that. _

**CATHERINE**

My heart pounded as he released his lips from mine. At first, I was in disbelief that the last five minutes didn't happen but when I opened my eyes to see how close we were in proximity, I knew that it had. I can't really explain it but, in a way, I felt like I was having my first kiss all over again. Sure, I won't lie. I've kissed a few guys before but none were like this…This was…surreal—in a good way.

We were still a few centimeters away from one another as he whispered, "We should probably take things a bit slower."

"Y-yeah." I definitely had to agree. If every kiss with him would give me this near-swooning affect, who knows what else may happen if we had ventured further.

Vincent resituated himself as I kept my arms around his neck and sat on his lap. I leaned my head against his shoulder blade and he rested his head upon mine.

"Vincent?"

"Hm?"

"H-how did you get that scar on your face?" I boldly asked as I traced it with my finger.

"That's a story for another time." He replied.

I decided not to press any further on the issue. He'll tell me when he's ready. Who knows, maybe it brings back horrible memories.

I pulled out my phone and pressed the "write message" button. Quickly, I sent a message to Joe and Tess declaring that I was alive. Vincent chuckled at my message before I sent them.

I looked at the time on my phone and saw that it was already 4 PM. "Do you want to go somewhere? I hate to say it but my apartment is running out of entertainment options. I have a very limited supply."

"I don't normally walk around until nighttime." He replied.

"Oh. Well, how about you and I go for a walk in the woods? That's away from society, right?" I asked, unsure of where he goes at night.

"I'm not that secluded." He stated. "As long as I wear a cap and a hoodie, I'm usually fine. It is getting cooler out so a hoodie is appropriate for this time of year. I suggest you wear a hoodie too."

"Did you bring your hoodie?"

"Yeah…it's in my bag I brought over."

I was running out of options of what we could do. "So…what do you want to do in the meantime?"

"Well, we've proven that twenty questions isn't really a well-focused game between us at the moment." He chuckled and I blushed. "What other movies do you have?"

"Do you want to watch something you haven't seen before?" I asked.

"That would be nice. It would be interesting to see how much film technology has changed in the last 10 years."

"Do you want to watch _The Avengers_? I just bought the movie recently but hadn't really had time to watch it. Trust me, it's good though." I smiled.

"Sure…Besides, I would love to see the look on J.T.'s face when he hears I got to see the movie. He's a major Marvel fan. He has all of the graphic novels stacked chronologically as well as alphabetically in his room. Besides, I can relate with the Incredible Hulk." He smirked.

"I'm sure you can." I slightly laughed before finding the movie within the shelves under the T.V.

**VINCENT**

As soon as Catherine found the movie, she set everything up and then came and sat down right where she was—in my arms. Instead of wrapping her arms around my neck, she wrapped them around my torso.

This time Catherine didn't fall asleep during the movie. I think she was more into it than I. She cringed when Black Widow gave Hawkeye cognitive recalibration and wouldn't blink as Ironman had the nuclear bomb in his possession as he tried to save New York City.

When the movie was over, I heard Catherine's stomach rumble. "Want to take that walk now? We can eat on the way." I suggested as I grabbed my hoodie out of my bag.

She nodded and went to her room to fetch a hoodie as well. I put on my hat and she pulled her hair back and slid on some dorky-looking eye glasses over her nose.

"What's with the glasses?" I asked.

"Well, I don't want people to recognize me so I have these as a cover. Whenever I'm supposed to be an undercover cop, I always wear these dorky glasses to hide my identity."

"Right. Well, I don't think we should use the lobby or the side entrances. You might object but our best chance is the roof." I said as I helped her turn off the apartment's lights.

"T-the roof?"

"Yeah…Will you be okay with that? I promise I won't let you fall." I replied as we snuck to the elevator.

She pressed the UP button and then the ROOF button before saying, "Can I be entitled my right to close my eyes?"

"Absolutely." I answered as we heard the elevator beep. We walked to the edge of the building. "Get on my back. It'll be easier. Also, make sure you hold tightly."

"Oh I plan to." She replied.

I backed up a little bit and said, "Whatever you do, don't scream."

"Okay." I couldn't tell if her heart was beating super-fast because she was scared or because she was excited. Probably a mixture of both.

Without warning, I started running and easily jumped to the ground. The building isn't as high as most people think. Then again, I'm not most people. Surprisingly, Catherine didn't scream once; nor did she release her grip when we landed.

"Catherine, you can let go now. We've landed." I stated.

She removed her hands and said, "In a twisted and kind of weird way, that was rather fun."

"I knew you would enjoy it." I smirked. Catherine straightened her glasses and then we both pulled our hoods over our heads.

"So do you go out into the streets like this often?" she asked.

"Sometimes. I don't do it every night because if I did, Muirfield would probably have found me by now."

"Why do you continue if you're worried Muirfield will find you?"

"Because…I don't like being cooped up in the chemistry plant all day. People mind their own business and don't try to talk to me so it's all good. By the way, did you tell your coworkers that you weren't going to be at home for the next few hours?"

"Not yet." She said as she pulled out her phone to do the very task.

Afterwards, she laced her fingers with mine and we slowly began walking the streets.

"It feels good to get out of the apartment." Catherine stated. "I know what you mean about the cooped feeling."

"Yeah."

We walked mostly in silence, just enjoying each other's company. We found a little vendor selling hot dogs along the street so I bought her and myself one.

"You didn't have to buy that." She said.

"I know. I wanted to though. What's the use of having money and not being able to spend it?" I asked as we sat down on a bench to eat our dinner.

"I guess you have a point." She replied as she bit into her hotdog.

I have to say, despite being vended hotdogs, they were quite appetizing. After we finished our dinner, we threw away our trash and found an ice cream vendor. She ordered a plain Jane vanilla cone and I ordered a swirl cone.

"When was the last time you had ice cream?" she asked as we waited for our orders to come through.

"Oh….Well…about six years. Our freezer died about six years ago and we just didn't have the time to buy a new one."

"Six years without ice cream! That's crazy!" Her eyes grew wide as if I said the ultimate taboo. "I don't know what I'd do without it! Let's just say it's my comfort food."

The vendor gave us our cones and, once again, we found a place to sit so we could enjoy our treats.

**CATHERINE**

Today has definitely been an interesting one—that's for sure. I am seeing sides of Vincent I never thought I'd see. He was definitely not the person I pegged him out to be.

We both stood up and continued our walk, hand in hand in silence. After a few hours of just walking, talking, laughing and occasional light kissing, we finally decided it was best to go back to the apartment. He jumped us back onto the top of the building after scouting the area.

"How long did you tell J.T. you were staying?" I asked.

"I told him I'd be here until we solve this case." He replied.

"Right." I answered as I made my way towards the elevator.

Vincent grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight embrace as he whispered a simple thank you. I gave him a confused look before he slowly brought his lips back towards mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tippy-toes.

"Well..Well…Well….If it isn't Catherine Chandler and Vincent Keller." A voice said from behind us. We instantly turned around and Vincent put his arm in front of me to protect me from whomever that voice belongs to.

"Show yourself!" Vincent demanded.

Suddenly, a man in his mid-60s steps out from behind the elevator, and said, "It's my lucky day."

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**I know this one is shorter than the other chapters but I'm tired and neeeeeed sleep. Enjoy ch. 7!**


	8. Chapter 8

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**Character I Own: Man with Alias Beowulf**

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Vincent grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight embrace as he whispered a simple thank you. I gave him a confused look before he slowly brought his lips back towards mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tippy-toes. _

"_Well...Well…Well….If it isn't Catherine Chandler and Vincent Keller." A voice said from behind us. We instantly turned around and Vincent put his arm in front of me to protect me from whomever that voice belongs to. _

"_Show yourself!" Vincent demanded. _

_Suddenly, a man in his mid-60s steps out from behind the elevator, and said, "It's my lucky day." _

**VINCENT**

A group of maybe twenty skilled combatants surrounded us while the elderly man slowly walked towards us. How did I not sense them? I should have known they were up here at least three miles away. Why didn't I?

"I bet you're wondering how you weren't able to sense our presence. Is that right?" the man said as if he could read my mind.

"The thought may have crossed my mind." I slowly stated, trying not to lose control of my anger. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Catherine.

"You see, just because our super soldier experiment backfired, doesn't mean we stopped our corporation. You see, in the past ten years, we've been producing special suits which block everything your kind is sensitive to. You as well as others are not able to smell or hear us while we wear these special suits."

Others? There are others out there?

"Ah…you caught onto what I said. Yes, indeed there are others like you in hiding. Though, most of them have been done away with since they weren't as careful as you." He stated.

"I can see Muirfield also experimented on you as well." I replied with a little smirk.

"I wouldn't necessary call it experimenting. No. They improved me. You see, I was never one for violence. I always gave that lovely role to another—one fiercer than anything. I had asked Muirfield to improve my mind—to make me able to read the minds of others within a 100 foot radius."

"Why come now when you could have easily surrounded me when I was alone?" I asked.

"Ever since Silverfox died, we knew of Catherine."

"Silverfox said he didn't tell anyone about her."

"He didn't. Silverfox was too soft for his own good. He was too much tied to his emotions that he didn't perform his job correctly. We wired one of his guys because he was actually our agent posing as a member of Silverfox's team. You see, we like to keep tabs on all of our negotiators—which is what I am. Every time Silverfox spoke about Catherine, we knew everything about her. We knew her name so it was easy to find out where she works, who she works with and who her family is. The only thing we didn't know was where she lived—not until tonight that is."

Suddenly, Catherine's blood boiled with a mixture of fear and anger, "What did you do?!"

"It isn't a matter of what I did; it is a matter of who you trust."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Catherine, Catherine, Catherine. The answer is right in front of you; well not directly in front of you but hypothetically in front of you." He said.

"T-the note…it was a lure…." She replied.

"Precisely. My killer forced that note down his victim's throat before nearly slicing him in half. When your forensics specialist found the note, your precinct was all over the case. I had one of my guys pretend to be an officer and follow your precinct to your apartment."

"Why go through all of that trouble when you're looking for me?" I asked, holding Catherine closer to me.

"Why not? We know we're no match for you in combat but when we probe at your weak points—that being Catherine—we'd be able to get somewhere."

"I would never have revealed anything about Vincent." Catherine said as she placed her hand on her gun.

"Ah but that's where you're wrong. You see, everyone has a breaking point. If you wouldn't have handled the information willingly, we would have done it by any means necessary. It's amazing what torture can do to a person. It could even cause a person to betray the one they love. You would know that too, Vincent. Wouldn't you?"

"Shut up!" I shouted. "There's no reason to bring up the past. No reason at all. That was ten years ago and I've learned my lesson since."

"Have you?"

"Yes!" I screamed with anger. That was it; I couldn't hold it in anymore. In order to save Catherine, I was willing to release the Beast.

As my blood began to boil and my muscles began to ripple, I knew the Beast was ready to appear any second. All of a sudden, I felt a pain surge through my back; making me rather dizzy.

**CATHERINE**

Vincent suddenly released me from his hold as his body began to transform. But something was wrong—not right. In the middle of his transformation, he fell to his knees and instantly returned to normal. That's when I noticed a syringe jabbed into his back upper right shoulder. They must have figured out that he's most vulnerable during his metamorphosis—neither human; neither beast. I ran for him, probably screamed his name as I did so, and pulled the syringe out of his back.

"Are you okay?" I asked frantically as I turned him over on his back.

"W-what did he do to me?" he asked. I could tell he was trying to move but couldn't.

"Don't worry. He's not going to die. Before he could finish his transformation, we injected a highly powerful sedative that dulls everything but the mind. He'll only have a few moments before he won't be able to move or speak; only hear and see you struggle as we take you away."

The moment he finished his statement, two armed men grabbed me by the arms and yanked me away from Vincent. I twisted left to right trying to wriggle out of their grips but couldn't break through. I then jabbed my foot into one of the guy's kneecaps, causing him to fall and cringe in immense pain. I was able to twist my arm out of the other guy's grip and rammed my fist into his face. If I have to fight twenty soldiers, so be it.

Another soldier came running at me as I pulled out my gun. Without hesitation, I fired, putting a bullet through his chest and shouted, "If you want to come at me, just go ahead and try it. I won't hesitate to shoot anyone who advances me!"

I could tell Vincent was mentally struggling. He couldn't stand to watch without helping. "Now you guys are going to leave us be if you know what's good for you."

Suddenly, I noticed that the elderly man had disappeared. Wh-where did he go?"

As I looked for him, my guard was down and one of his men wrapped his arm around my neck; trying to choke me. The worst part was, he was at least two feet taller than me so I couldn't touch the ground. I was struggling to breathe as my feet flailed around effortlessly. I then felt a cloth clover my mouth and nose before fainting into a deep, nothingness.

**Keiko Fujiwara:  
Again, I'm sorry for a short chapter. I hope this was action packed for ya! I promise to update either late tonight or sometime tomorrow! **

**Note: The elderly man's alias will be stated in the next chapter for any curious readers! **

**By the way! I AM SO PSYCHED BECAUSE B&B 2012 IS ON TONIGHT! I SOOO WANT TO SEE THAT EPISODE! XD**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ughhhhh….**

**Right now, I don't like Evan! DX I just finished watching tonight's episode and GRRRR! I was soooo hoping they'd be able to have a nice night out together! WHY CW!? WHYYYYY!? **

**Q~Q**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**Character I Own: Man with Alias Beowulf**

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_As I looked for him, my guard was down and one of his men wrapped his arm around my neck; trying to choke me. The worst part was, he was at least two feet taller than me so I couldn't touch the ground. I was struggling to breathe as my feet flailed around effortlessly. I then felt a cloth clover my mouth and nose before fainting into a deep, nothingness._

**VINCENT: **

I was mentally cursing as I saw Catherine struggling against those fighters. She shouldn't have to be doing this! This was supposed to be my fight! No matter how much I wanted to scream out her name, nothing happened. All I could do was watch Muirfield effortlessly take her away.

That older man was a decoy. As the two had grabbed her, he made his way behind her so when she would look up, she would see him missing and try to look for him—bringing her guard down. Whoever he is, he's on a different league than Silverfox.

"By the way, certain circles call me Beowulf. Remember that name as you see your precious girlfriend for the last time." Beowulf said.

Suddenly, a helicopter flew overhead and landed not too far from me. As Beowulf entered the helicopter a long with the men who carried Catherine, I was beginning to feel my limbs again. Some sedative. It's probably so strong, the effects only last five to ten minutes; just long enough for a grand escape.

After three more hopped in, the rest jumped off the building before opening their parachutes.

I could finally feel most of my body and saw Beowulf jump out of the helicopter. When I thought he was going to jump off the building as well, he, instead, came my way as if he were begging for a death wish.

"By the way, just a little side-note, if, by luck, you do find Catherine before we finish with her, she's going to wish she had never met you."

At that second, I was able to kick his suit's helmet off with my foot; allowing myself to familiarize his scent. Suddenly, I managed the ability to speak again, "When I find you, and I will, you'll be sorry you ever messed with me."

"We'll see about that." Beowulf smirked before getting back into the helicopter. As it flew away, I was able to gain full control over my body. I cursed colorfully as the helicopter flew away at great speed. There was no way I could jump onto it now. My nerves were still recovering from the serum.

I wanted to scream her name but what good would that do?

I jumped off of the building and ran towards the warehouse. If anything, I need to tell J.T. my plan in person. If I told him by phone, he would most likely have cardiac arrest—something I could help prevent if present.

I didn't have time to go through the front door. I jumped to the second floor window into J.T.'s room, scaring the hell out of him.

"Really Vincent?! Was the theatrics necessary?! Wait, why are you home? Did something happen? Where's Catherine? Why isn't she here?! What's going on, Vincent?!"

"I would tell you if you would stop bombarding me with questions!" I said as I tried to control my anger. I wasn't angry with J.T. I was angry at Muirfield and at myself for letting this happen. If only I hadn't suggested we go up to the roof. "Catherine's been kidnapped by Muirfield."

"What? How?!"

"Apparently, as I have been hiding for the last ten years, Muirfield has been progressing in their technology. They have created suits now—suits that can hide their sounds and smells. Look, I don't have time to explain what happened."

"Then why are you here?"

"To prevent you from having cardiac arrest as I tell you my plan." I said.

"Which is?"

"I'm going to the police." I said, hoping J.T. wouldn't faint from shock.

"WHAT?! After all we've been through? You're going to give it up just like that?"

"Catherine is in danger, J.T. Look; we don't have the resources like the police do. I'll talk to Catherine's partner, Tess. She seems down to Earth. With their help, I'll be able to find Catherine sooner than if I looked for her alone."

He sighed. "Fine. On one condition."

"What?"

"You're not going to the police alone. Let me at least come with you." J.T. said.

"Fine. Get in the car. We're going now." I said. "I'm driving."

"You can't drive, Vincent! Remember? You're dead! No Driver's license!"

"Spare me. I'll drive with precision." I replied as we headed for the car. I just hope I don't transform in front of Catherine's precinct. That would be a nightmare.

**CATHERINE: **

I opened my eyes and found both my wrists chained to a table of some sort. "Where am I?"

"I see you're awake." That elderly man said.

"W-where's Vincent?! What did you do to him?!" I asked, remembering the sequence of events that happened before I was chloroformed.

"He should be fine. We left him on your apartment's rooftop. If anything, he's probably tearing down the city, looking for you."

"What do you want from me?!" I asked.

"Were you aware that your mother used to work with us?"

"I was. What does that have to do with anything?!"

"Your mother was a brilliant scientist, Catherine. One of a kind. You see, even before you met Vincent, we were looking for you. We gained insight that your mother figured out the precise formula for the super soldier program to work. She always kept her notes in her special briefcase. We brought you here because we want you to tell us where it is."

"I don't know where it is. Now release me!"

The man walked closer to me and said, "That's where you're wrong, Catherine. If you didn't know, your mind actually remembers everything very clearly. It's our own prognosis which makes us forget. If trained properly, one can easily remember every single detail of every single memory. If a person is not used to such training, there are other ways to probe into his or her mind in order for him or her to remember the memory."

He suddenly pulled over some machine over my head and continued, "This machine is a Brain Reawakener. It will send a voltage towards the brain and will trigger a response; allowing the subject—in this case, you—to re-see every old memory ever witnessed. Remember, I'm a mind-reader so you can't hide anything. Don't worry about your memories of Vincent. That is not my concern—that is someone else's mission and there's no way I'm going to do his dirty work. You are my mission—nothing else."

"You won't get away with this." I said, trying to stay confident even though I was terrified of what he could do to me.

"Actually, I will. You see, I don't really care what happens to me. My mission is to find out where that briefcase is. That's all. What the higher-ups do with that information is none of my concern. Just to let you know, this machine works like a charm. It's ironic because the last time it was used on Vincent's former fiancée."

"F-fiancée?"

"Oh? Did Vincent not tell you the tragic story behind his fiancée's death?"

"Don't you dare tell me! I don't want to hear it from you! If Vincent hasn't told me yet, it's because there's a reason behind it. If anything, I don't want to hear it from you." I spat.

"Fine by me. I mean it doesn't matter if you hear it or not. All that matters to me right now is my mission." He said as he placed two earplugs in his ears. "Since your last memory of your mother was about 9 years ago, I'm going to take you back ten years. Each time you fail, we start over. We will cover day by day, second by second and hour by hour. Nothing goes untraced. It may seem like you're reliving your life but, because the brain works in mysterious of ways, it will only take you five minutes to see an entire year of memory. The energy of the voltage will increase as we continue down the years. Prepare yourself for the most unimaginable pain there is."

The moment he turned the dial, I felt volts of lighting surge inside my brain, causing my body to writhe in pain and my voice to scream. At that second, I didn't care what would happen to me. I wanted to die.

**J.T. **

"You know the plan right?" Vincent asked me as we drove up to the police station. "Ask for Tess Vargas and tell there's an emergency."

"I know, Vincent! You told me like fifty times as we drove here!" I stated before opening the car door. "Look, I know you're worried about her but we'll find her. Either that, or we'll die trying."

"Thanks J.T. That made me feel loads better." He rolled his eyes.

"Well you know what I mean!" I retorted before taking my leave towards the building. As I walk closer and closer to the front entrance, I continued to tell myself that I could do this. All I had to do was stay focused and remember Tess Vargas.

"Sir, may I help you?" a police officer asked as I entered the building.

"Y-yeah…I'm l-looking for a T-Tess V-Vargas." I stuttered. Gosh, I hate it when I get nervous. This better be worth it because if it's not, I'm totally blaming Vince!

"Follow me." The officer said, leading me to Catherine's coworker.

"May I help you?" Tess asked me as the officer made his way back to his post.

"Yeah…um…I have a friend who knows your partner, Catherine. He wants to s-speak to you in private."

"I remember you…You were that guy who lived in the chemical plant, right?" Tess asked.

"Y-yeah. So would you speak to him? He's in my car. He doesn't like to show himself in public but this is a dire emergency." That sounds good, doesn't it?"

"Alright." She replied and followed me to the car. I hope Vince knows what he's getting himself into. Because I sure as hell don't.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yay! Another Chappie done! XD**

**I hope next week's episode is better because I didn't like certain events that had happened. DX**

**Enjoy your night!**


	10. Chapter 10

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**Character I Own: Man with Alias Beowulf**

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Y-yeah. So would you speak to him? He's in my car. He doesn't like to show himself in public but this is a dire emergency." That sounds good, doesn't it?" _

"_Alright." She replied and followed me to the car. I hope Vince knows what he's getting himself into. Because I sure as hell don't. _

**VINCENT**

The moment J.T. had entered the police department; I switched to the back seat furthest away from the building. If this runs smoothly, Tess shouldn't know my identity. I'd rather risk exposure to save Catherine than risk her life. Every single second I waste is another second Muirfield has of hurting her. And if I know them as well as I think I do, I have a feeling they're going to torture it out of her and perhaps killing her in the process. I can't let that happen again! Muirfield won't win this time!

"Okay, where is he?" I heard Tess say as they came closer to the car.

"Like I said, he's in the car. He doesn't want people to see him so he's requesting a private audience. Will you be okay with that?" J.T. asked.

"Normally I wouldn't but I have a gut feeling telling me I need to do this." Tess said before J.T. opened the car door.

She sat in the back seat on the other side and said, "Alright, what's going on? Who are you?"

"You need to listen to me very carefully and you must promise not to say a word about this meeting. Catherine's life depends on it." I said with precaution.

"How do you know Catherine?"

I sighed. I might as well tell her bits and pieces of the story so she can agree to help. "Catherine and I have known each other since she was in college." I somewhat lied. "I had dropped off the radar due to personal business and didn't want her involved. A short while ago, she had tracked me down. I asked her to keep my life a secret because there's a group set out to kill me."

"Why didn't you go to Witness Protection?"

"Because…this group has resources. They are a private group of the government and can get their hands on anything. Anyways, even though I told her to stay away, Catherine continued to come. That's why she has been disappearing lately. She's been coming to see me for reasons I cannot discuss. Because of this whole ordeal with your case—"

"How do you know about the case?! That's confidential information!"

"Relax. After your police force left her apartment, Catherine called me and asked me if I could stay with her. She didn't want to be alone but she didn't want to involve people who have no idea who they're up against."

"Wait, so that's why Catherine was acting very weird earlier. She was hiding you."

"Yeah…Anyways, we spent the day together and ended up going for a walk. When we returned to her apartment, we decided to go to the roof to just sit and relax. That's when we were surrounded by twenty or so men from this group. They incapacitated me by injecting a sedative into my back shoulder. I couldn't move. At that point, they had grabbed her but she didn't go without a fight. They have her and I need your help to save her."

"Why should I do this for you? I've never met you before. How do I know you aren't actually the bad guy?"

"You have to trust me. Believe me, if I was the bad guy, you'd be already dead." I said in truth.

"What's Catherine's favorite color?"

"Purple."

"Lucky guess. Where did she graduate from?"

"Harvard. Tess, as much as you want to question me, we don't have all that much time. Who knows what they're doing to her!" I semi-shouted so I wouldn't lose control.

"I have one final question." She said.

I kept silent so she could continue.

"Why do you care what happens? Most guys in Cat's life have bailed on her when she's needed them most. Why are you so different?"

"Detective, I care what happens because I love Catherine. I would gladly offer my life for hers if the opportunity arises. Catherine is the first person, in a long time, to ever know who I am and not run away. Please, I don't have time to explain. Will you help me or not?"

"Fine. I'm not helping you because you asked me to. I'm helping you because Catherine is as dear to me as if she were a sister. If she trusts you, then I'll trust you too."

"Good. Now, the head of, let's just call it Group M, told me some valuable information before he took Catherine. He said someone from his team has been working with the police for the past few days in order to find out where she lives. Is there anyone you don't recognize? Could there be a person pretending to be an intern?"

"Well, Joe did hire a newbie about three days ago. His name is Bobby Smith. Of course! Why didn't I see it before?! Bobbie Smith is too ordinary of a name to be an actual person. But, we checked his background….so I don't get it."

"Group M has resources. They could have easily created a fake I.D. for this Bobbie Smith. I bet, if you do a second I.D. check, his information would be deleted."

"Okay, so what do I do once I figure out if he's the infiltrator?" Tess asked.

"If the background information doesn't pan out, find a way to get his DNA. Once you've obtained a sample, call this number." I said as I handed her a card with my burner phone. "Whatever you do, do not turn that DNA over to forensics. Group M can get their hands on anything, especially DNA readings."

"What are you going to the DNA once I give it to you?"

"I have equipment that can analyze DNA. Once I have results, I will tell you whether or not Bobbie Smith is in fact Bobbie Smith. Afterwards, we'll take it from there."

"This is wild but what the hell." Tess said before getting out of the car.

I quickly grabbed her arm and said, "Can I have your word that you won't speak about this meeting?"

"I'm not going to risk Catherine's life based on some meeting. Don't worry, I won't say a word." She replied as I released her arm.

As she left the car, J.T. slid into the driver seat as I switched to the passenger's seat.

"Dude, are you sure you know what you're doing?" J.T. asked.

"Absolutely not but at this point, I don't care. The sooner we find Catherine, the better."

"Vincent, were you serious?"

"About what?" I asked.

"Were you serious when you told Detective Vargas that you love Catherine?"

"J.T., I know I've said this before but Catherine is different. She accep—"

"She accepts you for who you are, I get it, Vincent. But what happens when you save her? Muirfield is just going to continue tracking her just like they did her mother. They're not going to stop!"

"I'll take that road when it comes, J.T. For now, let's just focus on saving Catherine."

"Okay." J.T. replied as he drove us back to the warehouse.

I'll save Catherine no matter what it takes—even if that means I have to kill the entire Muirfield sector.

**CATHERINE**

"PLEASE! STOP IT! NO MORE! PLEASE!" I screamed as loud as I could. The pain was unbearable. He's been probing into my mind for hours! "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! PLEASE! I BEG YOU TO STOP!"

"Catherine, you don't understand the predicaments. We know you know where your mother hid her research."

"Sir! You've been searching her memories for three hours. She'll die if you continue. She needs to rest. You can resume in the morning."

"The 13 voltage is almost complete! If I cannot find it within thirteen years ago, I will resume with fourteen in the morning."

After nearly fifteen minutes of continuous torture, he finally stopped. "Now, Catherine, don't look that way. You see, once we've finished finding out where your mother's research is, we can have some real fun." He said as he stroked my face.

I wanted to bite his fingers off but I couldn't even function. Surprisingly enough, the only thing I could function were my thoughts. I felt so violated and didn't know if I would ever truly recover from something like that. The worst part: he wasn't finished. He's only just begun.

"You might as well give up on banking that Vincent will save you. He'll never be able to find us—no matter how hard he tries."

I felt two men drag me away from the machine and literally throw me into some type of underground cell.

One of them threw some kind of raggedy gown towards me and said, "When you can move in the morning, Beowulf wants you wearing that thing. If you don't, your sister, Heather, will be the first to die in front of your eyes."

I didn't know if he was bluffing or if he was serious. In any case, I couldn't risk Heather's life on a mere gown. If that bastard wants me wearing some stupid laboratory gown, so be it. Anything to get out of this hell faster.

**THE NEXT MORNING: **

I woke up early in the morning, hoping that when I opened my eyes, I was in one of two places: my bed or Vincent's arms. I was in neither. I remembered what the soldier had said, so, since it was still dark enough, I decided to change in order to save some vanity I had left. The soldier was right. I could move again and even speak. I changed into that dreadful gown and began searching for some way to know my location.

I was shocked when they allowed me to keep my belongings like my badge. They had only taken away my cell phone and my gun.

Luckily, the weird gadgets we get in our precinct come in handy after all. I took off my badge and flipped it around. It wasn't only a badge but also a disguised phone. Too bad it doesn't have a GPS signal.

For anyone who would see this badge, they would see a badge. But, on the crest of the badge's front, there's a button. If I press it, and speak out the desired phone number I wish to call, it will automatically dial. I don't care if it doesn't send out a GPS signal; I just want to hear his voice. I'm afraid I may not have much longer to live and I can't go without hearing him again.

I gently pressed the secret button and softly spoke the number of Vincent's burner phone. Each time he gives me his new burner number, I memorize it so, in case I don't have my cell, I could still call him.

I scooted back as far as I could away from the door of the cell and leaned against the wall. Suddenly, I heard his raspy, calm voice saying, "Hello?"

"Vincent?" I whispered but relieved to hear his voice. I was scared Beowulf did something to him before he left with me.

"C-Catherine? H-How?!"

"Shhhh…I don't have time to explain. I just wanted to hear your voice in case…"

"In case what?!"

"In case something happens to me." I reply slowly. I started to choke back a sob.

"Where are you?!" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm in this underground cell right now. There are walls everywhere." I replied, scared out of my wits.

"Listen, Catherine. I'm going to find you. I promise!"

"I'm scared, Vincent!" I cried. "I don't want to go back there! The pain is too much to endure!"

"What happened?!" he demanded.

I tried to gather myself up in case someone comes walking by. I didn't them to hear anything. "He tied me to this table and basically electrified my brain, increasing the power whenever he couldn't find what he was looking for. He did it for three hours nonstop, Vincent! It was worse than anything I have ever felt and he's planning on increasing the voltage today. He wants to make sure he's covered every single part of my memory even if I die in the process."

"Listen to me, Catherine. I'm going to get you out of there! Alright!? Just stay strong and know that I'm coming! Can you do that for me?"

I didn't answer. I honestly didn't know what would happen. I could dead when he comes to save me.

"Catherine, can you do that for me?" he repeated.

"I'll try." I whispered, almost inaudibly. "Vincent?"

"Yes?"

"I-in c-case things g-go south for me, I w-wanted you to know t-that I—"

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**I know. :( another cliffy! DX Please let me know what you think? By the way, the whole cell phone/badge thing: Totally my idea. You won't be finding that device in the show. :P **

**Have a great night! **


	11. Chapter 11

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**Character I Own: Man with Alias Beowulf and Vincent's former fiancée, Emily**

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Listen to me, Catherine. I'm going to get you out of there! Alright!? Just stay strong and know that I'm coming! Can you do that for me?" _

_I didn't answer. I honestly didn't know what would happen. I could dead when he comes to save me. _

"_Catherine, can you do that for me?" he repeated._

"_I'll try." I whispered, almost inaudibly. "Vincent?" _

"_Yes?" _

"_I-in c-case things g-go south for me, I w-wanted you to know t-that I—"_

**VINCENT**

I heard the phone plop onto some kind of surface before she could finish her thought. "Catherine?"

Because of my super-hearing skills, I heard her mutter someone's coming. I stayed quiet, knowing she didn't want Muirfield to know about her extra phone—or whatever device she's using.

I heard a door open and footsteps coming nearer and nearer to wherever she dropped the phone.

"Who were you talking to?" someone said.

"N-no one!"

"We heard you talking to someone!"

Suddenly, I heard Catherine yelp in pain as she screamed, "Let go of my hair!"

Then, I heard a loud smack before a loud crash. What the hell is going on over there?!

I heard Catherine gasp for air before she began screaming, "LET GO OF ME!"

I could tell she was struggling against her opponents. She was twisting and turning, trying to rip out of their hold.

"The boss wants you now." One man said.

I could hear Catherine struggling even more. She was desperate. My heart broke as I heard her screaming.

"DON'T TAKE ME BACK THERE!"

The struggles were decreasing.

"STOP IT! I BEG OF YOU!"

I heard dragging on the ground. They had gotten to the point of pulling her against her will. I ended the call. I couldn't handle listening to her cries of despair. I knew that if I listened any further, I would have lost it.

"Who was that?" J.T. asked as he slowly walked in.

"Catherine." I stated.

"C-Catherine? How is that even possible? Is she okay? Is she alive? I mean, of course she's alive! She wouldn't have called you if she wasn't! What did she want? What did you say? Did she tell you where she was? Did you ask her where she wa—"

"J.T.! Calm down! I can't answer a million questions all at once!"

"Sorry."

"Catherine called using some sort of secret phone device. She doesn't know where she is. All she told me is that she's scared and what they've done to her."

"What have they done to her?"

"The same thing they did to Emily. They are using the Brain Re-Awakener."

"T-they'll kill her!" J.T. stuttered. "Did she say how much voltage they've given her brain?"

"Yesterday, they electrified her brain for three hours. She didn't tell me how much voltage she received—only that it was extremely painful. We've gotta save her. She can't die like Emily did."

"Well, what did the place look like? Maybe we can narrow it down that way."

"She said the building had walls—lots and lots of wh—" Suddenly it had dawned on me. "I think I know where she is."

"Where?!"

"The same place they destroyed my humanity." I spat.

"What makes you think she's there?!"

"The only place I know that has white walls and an underground cell is Muirfield's main base."

"But if was taken there, getting past the security would be impossible!"

"Not entirely. Look, I've got to go. I need to talk to Detective Tess. Call her and tell her to meet me on the roof of Catherine's apartment building. Tell her it is urgent."

"O-okay." J.T. replied as I left the warehouse.

It didn't take more than fifteen minutes to wait for Detective Tess Vargas. I wore my hoodie and made sure my face was in the dark.

"I need you to confirm something for me." I said.

"What?"

"Are you aware if Catherine has some kind of device on her that serves as a cell phone?"

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! Catherine, as well as every member of our precinct, has badge phones. Did she contact you with it?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Each badge has a tracking device so we'll be able to find her through the call." Tess said.

"No need. I know where she is."

"How?"

"Catherine described the place where she is at. I've been there before over ten years ago. I know this sounds crazy but I don't need your involvement from this point out. Catherine will be saved by me and by me alone."

"Sir, no offence but I don't think you are capable of taking down an entire group by yourself."

"Believe me, you won't have to worry about that." At that moment, I jumped off of the building and landed on the street. I don't care if Tess saw me or not. That wasn't on my top priority list right now. I ran back home to the warehouse and began gathering supplies.

Catherine may need medical attention and with Muirfield headquarters in the middle of nowhere, she wouldn't be able to have the proper medical treatment.

J.T. came in and said, "I would come with you but I've got class to teach in the morning."

"That's fine, J.T. Go teach your class. I'll be fine on my own."

"Is there anything you need?"

"Once I do save Catherine, we'll be going to the Safe Haven for a few days before returning here."

"Okay. I hope you know what you're doing, Vincent."

"Yeah, I'm saving Catherine." I replied as I placed my belongings in my car.

"Have a safe mission." J.T. stated before I got into the car. I don't care if I don't have a license. Saving Catherine is top priority.

**CATHERINE**

I laid there on the table, motionless. Beowulf had been searching my mind for nearly four hours without break.

"I don't understand! We've gone through every year since she was five! How is it that she doesn't seem to contain any memory pertaining to her mother's research?" Beowulf asked out loud.

"Sir," a soldier said, "Perhaps she was telling the truth all along! Perhaps she doesn't know where it is—that her mother never told her."

"No…She knows where it is…I'm sure of it. There's something she's not telling us. Take her back to her cell. I'm going to prep this room for a different approach." Beowulf said.

"Yes sir!" the soldier replied. I could feel myself being dragged from the torture room to the cell. I don't know how much longer I can take. The pain was too unbearable. I was sure I was going to die from the torture but I kept remembering Vincent's promise. Only that would be my saving grace.

Once again, I was thrown into the cell as if I were a plastic doll. I tried willing my limbs to move but nothing was happening. I felt like I was severed from my body because no matter how hard I tried to move, I couldn't.

In order to keep myself sane, I began to think of numbers. My mother taught me once that if, for any reason, I felt confused or filled with doubt, I should think of numbers because they are the only thing concrete in the world. As I have learned in the recent past, nothing is black and white. Nothing.

I counted for as long as I could before I fell into a deep, warranted sleep.

**A FEW HOURS LATER: **

Like the previous morning, I woke up pretty early. Once again, I now had control of my limbs. I ran my hands through the straw and dirt as I searched for my badge. Before the men grabbed me yesterday, I tossed my badge away so no one could find it. Within five minutes, I found it; grateful I would get to hear his voice once more.

I dialed his number and mentally prayed he would pick up.

"Catherine?"

I didn't answer. I don't know if I could hold it together if I said anything.

"Catherine, I know you're there. I can hear your pulse through the phone. Why aren't you speaking, Catherine?"

"I don't know how much longer I can handle this, Vincent." I said before choking back a sob.

"Catherine, you have to stay strong. Muirfield wants you to break down. They'll use that weakness against you. I'm on my way."

"You are?" I asked, hopeful.

"Yes. I should be arriving in a few hours. Can you move?" He asked.

"I can move…not very fast though…my legs won't stop tingling."

"That's a result from intense electric shock to your brain. Your sciatic nerves in both your legs have been affected from the electric shock which can cause a sense of tingling. Have they been feeding you? Giving you water?"

"Some water…no food."

"Okay. As long as you're hydrated, even just a little bit, you should be fine for a while. When the soldier comes in to get you, he'll most likely hand you a cup of water. Drink it."

"Okay."

"Listen, Catherine. You have to get out of there."

"I can't! They took my gun and I don't even know the way out!"

"Do you know how to use a machine gun? I know for a fact Muirfield soldiers carry them around."

"S-somewhat…"

"Good…Then listen carefully. Get a gun. Do whatever you have to do to get it. Take it from the soldier who gives you the water. His guard will be down. Then, shoot whoever stands in your way. You don't have to kill them; you just have to shoot them in the upper leg or in the foot to stop them from chasing you. There should be an entrance to underground tunnels not far from the prison cell. Go in there and hide. There shouldn't be as much security down there, alright?"

"O-okay…"

"You're going to be okay, Catherine. Just get a gun and get to the tunnels. Also, don't think of anything. Beowulf will be able to find you by reading your mind. Run as far as you can and then hide."

"Beowulf can only read your mind if you are within a 100 foot radius. The tunnels stretch for at least four miles. So, to be safe, run two."

I didn't answer. I was thinking of all of the negative outcomes if this so called plan fails.

"Catherine, can you do this? You run as far as possible, preferably two miles and then I'll finish the rest. I'll be there soon. Got that?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay. Stay safe."

"Bye." I said. I knew that the soldier will be coming soon.

"Bye." He said before ending the call.

I quickly took of that damn gown and put on my own clothes. If I was going to fight, I was going to do it on my terms. I placed the badge in my pocket so that when I got to where I was going, I could call him. I then put on the gown over my own clothes so I wouldn't alert the soldier when he came in.

As if on cue, the cell door opened and the soldier who threw me into the cell walked in. Luckily, the tingling in my legs decreased, making it easier for me to move around.

"Here's your water." He said.

Just as Vincent said, I took it. I drank the entire contents and then threw the glass at his face. Using that split moment of distraction; I kicked his midsection as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards but then tripped me by swiping his foot underneath mine. I immediately stood back up and blocked his fist, grabbing then twisting it. He cried in agony as I continued pushing his elbow the opposite direction. He used his other hand and managed to punch me square in the nose. I fell backwards as I felt my right nostril starting to bleed. He walked towards me and I kicked his groin as hard as I could. He cowered in pain as I took his machine gun away from him.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." I spat.

"Go ahead. You've got nothing to lose. You won't get away from this because, even if you escape today, Muirfield will find you and they will destroy you." He said.

"Wrong answer." I stated before shooting him in the foot as well as his upper leg.

I started walking out of the cell but he said, "I thought you were going to kill me."

"Looks like you got lucky." I replied as I exited the cell.

I heard the man yelling "SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH!" as I ran away from the cell.

As I searched for the tunnel entrance, three soldiers blocked my path.

"Be a nice girl and hand over the gun." One said.

I didn't hesitate. I shot all three in the knees. I didn't have time to waste and no one was going to get in my way. Perhaps they'll take my mercy as a blessing. If they don't, they won't be so lucky next time.

After five minutes of searching, I found the entrance and entered it. As I ran, I shot seven soldiers to prohibit them from following me. Instead of shooting them just in the legs, I shot them in each leg and in both hands so they cannot use their gun.

I was going to fight even if I die trying.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Another chapter done! This time there wasn't really a cliffy so you guys were spared! ^_^ **


	12. Chapter 12

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**Character I Own: Man with Alias Beowulf and Vincent's former fiancée, Emily**

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Be a nice girl and hand over the gun." One said. _

_I didn't hesitate. I shot all three in the knees. I didn't have time to waste and no one was going to get in my way. Perhaps they'll take my mercy as a blessing. If they don't, they won't be so lucky next time. _

_After five minutes of searching, I found the entrance and entered it. As I ran, I shot seven soldiers to prohibit them from following me. Instead of shooting them just in the legs, I shot them in each leg and in both hands so they cannot use their gun. _

_I was going to fight even if I die trying._

**CATHERINE**

I ran. I ran as fast as possible; only stopping to shoot a Muirfield soldier. By the time I was almost two miles out, I had injured twelve men and killed four. I didn't mean to kill them but they came at me so quickly, I had no choice but to shoot without aiming.

I knew I had blood all over my clothing. Somewhere back there, I had lost that dreadful gown so I could run faster. One soldier had caught me by surprise and rammed a rock into my head. I was lucky enough I didn't pass out or have a concussion. He was one of the four I killed. I shot wherever I could shoot, sending five bullets through his stomach and chest.

Most of the blood on my clothes was not my own. Sure, I was bleeding on the head, my nose, my elbow and knee but the blood from those burns and cuts paled in comparison to the amount of blood on my apparel.

When I thought I was far enough to stop running, I found a dark corner—probably another tunnel they had started to create but didn't finish. I sat down but kept my guard up. I had no idea whether or not Beowulf was within 100 feet so I didn't dare think of anything. I just sat there and stared into the darkness in front of me.

I was probably hiding for a good forty-five minutes before I decided to trail the tunnels again. I stood up and, instead of running, I walked. I figured I was far enough where soldiers couldn't get to me. As I continued to trek the tunnel, I could feel my oxygen supply decreasing. The air was thinning. I was beginning to pant and the lack of food and water wasn't doing me any favors. I decided sitting and resting was the best option at this point. If I could hardly breath, what was the use trying to continue?

I felt consciousness slipping away from me. I was losing blood and lacked water. I could hear myself starting to wheeze for air, searching for oxygen. I was beginning to swoon when I heard faint footsteps coming towards me.

I didn't have enough strength to lift the gun. My body's exhaustion was catching up with my eagerness to move forward. No matter what my mind wanted to do, my body refused to move. My wheezing increased. The air continued to thin as my lungs drained it of its oxygen. I could feel tingling in my legs and arms. They were already loosing blood circulation because without oxygen, blood can't circulate.

Was this it? Am I going to die today? Will they find my body and use it as experiments?

Questions filled my head as I felt myself slipping away from reality. The last question that entered my mind was: Will I ever get a chance to see him again?

**VINCENT**

I was finally within the tunnels. Even after ten years, Muirfield didn't fill the entrance—allowing me easy access. My first mission was to find Catherine. Nothing more, nothing less.

I decided to walk. I didn't want my adrenaline rush to kick in and allow the Monster to take over. I had to stay sane—for her.

I heard faint heart beats as I continued into the tunnels.

Faint beating and heavy breathing.

I had forgotten that Muirfield keeps a section of the tunnels with little to no oxygen to slow down deserters. Catherine was probably within that contained section and with her lack of water and food, she wouldn't survive long. I started to jog to increase my pace. The more steps I took, the more I heard her struggles.

I stopped dead in my tracks. There she was, nearing unconsciousness. As fast as I could, I advanced her and pulled out a bottle of water from my backpack.

"Catherine…" I whispered, trying to wake her from her trance-state.

She slowly opened her eyes and whispered with a cracked voice, "I knew you'd come."

"I'm right here." I replied before propping her head as she faintly smiled. Her skin was incredibly pale.

I could tell her lips were dry and her eyes were dilated, indicating that she was highly dehydrated. I checked her pulse and then put the bottle back in my backpack. She needed oxygen and quickly. There was no use giving her water if she couldn't have the strength to even swallow it. I picked her up and began running. I had to run fast. She was developing Hypoxemia based on her symptoms of bluish lips, Cheyne - Stokes respiration and hypotension.

The moment we were outside, I placed her gently down on the ground. I paused. Her heart was beating ever so faintly.

I called out her name but she didn't respond. She's lost consciousness. I put my ear above her lips but couldn't feel her breathing. I began pushing down on her chest thirty times but nothing happened. I pressed my lips against hers and blew air into her body twice. Again, nothing happened.

I continued with the chest compressions and then breathed into her lungs again.

Suddenly, her chest started to move on her own and her oxygen levels were slowly increasing. I sighed in relief. I don't know what I would have done if she died.

She slowly opened her eyes and I helped her sit up. She needed water. I reached for my backpack, pulled out the water bottle and unscrewed the cap. Because she was too weak to move her body, I placed the bottle against her lips and slightly tilted it, allowing the water to pour down her throat. Every few seconds, I would stop, allow the water to pass down her body and then continued the process. When she had finished drinking the bottle, I picked her up, carried her to the car and placed her gently in the back seat. I then drove off to the nearest town's hotel and paid for a room in cash.

I gently placed her on the bed and could tell she was now sleeping soundly. Her breathing was normal and her blood pulse was increasing back to normal rate. I kissed her on the forehead before pulling the curtains closed and locking the doors.

Muirfield will have to wait for a different day.

My main objective was getting Catherine back home safely.

**CATHERINE**

I woke up with a splitting headache, not recognizing my surroundings. I slowly sat up and his voice startled me.

"You're awake."

"We're at the Safe Haven." He replied.

"S-safe Haven? What happened to Muirfield? Did they follow us?"

"Relax, Catherine." He said as he handed me some pain killer medicine. "I made sure Muirfield didn't follow me. It's been three days since you were there."

"Three days! I've been sleeping for that long!?"

"Yes. I paid for a hotel for the first night and then, since you weren't awake yet, I decided to keep moving and now we are here, at the Safe Haven." Vincent replied as he took a seat onto the bed near my feet.

"What happened to Muirfield?" I asked.

"They're still out there. My main concern was you, Catherine. I'd rather continue living in hiding, knowing you're safe than kill every last soldier in that complex in hopes you weren't dying." He whispered, reaching for my hand.

We stared into each other's eyes in silence. No words were needed at the current moment. Suddenly, a realization just hit me. "Vincent, Muirfield has my phone…They'll see all of my contacts and find out the information about everyone I know."

"How many contacts do you have?" he asked, knowing I secret-coded his name on my contact list.

"I have a copy of their information on my computer at home. I keep that only in case my phone is destroyed and would have to get a new one."

"I'm going to call J.T. He knows someone from the CIA. They can wipe your phone clean faster than you can say thank you." He smirked.

"Okay…" I replied as he stepped away to make the call. I slipped out of the bed and looked around. This was no hotel room—this was an actual house! A beautiful house at that one.

I felt Vincent wrap his arms around me from behind and smell my hair.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"It's probably best I don't tell you. J.T. doesn't want anyone other than he and myself to know." He replied.

I was a little disappointed that he wouldn't tell me but I couldn't blame him. That would just be one less thing to get out of me if Muirfield were to ever capture me again.

I turned around and wrapped my arms around him, wanting him to hold me. If time could ever pause for a moment, this is where I'd want to be. Right within Vincent's arms, knowing I am safe.

He kissed the top of my head and muttered something like "We're safe, Catherine."

Before anything could ruin this moment, I pressed my lips against his, waiting for him to comply and he did. I pulled myself closer to him by wrapping my legs around his torso and delved my tongue into his mouth.

Just like the first time we kissed, Vincent pulled away, not wanting to venture into anything we would potentially regret.

Suddenly a thought plagued my mind as we departed. I needed to know even if he wasn't ready to tell me. The thought won't ever cease bugging me unless he tells me what happened. So I boldly asked him.

"Vincent?"

"Hm?" he muttered, still in a trance-like state.

"What happened to your fiancée?"

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Sorry. Another cliffy but all of your questions about what happened with Emily will be answered in the next chapter! XD **


	13. Chapter 13

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**Character I Own: Man with Alias Beowulf and Vincent's former fiancée, Emily**

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Suddenly a thought plagued my mind as we departed. I needed to know even if he wasn't ready to tell me. The thought won't ever cease bugging me unless he tells me what happened. So I boldly asked him. _

"_Vincent?" _

"_Hm?" he muttered, still in a trance-like state. _

"_What happened to your fiancée?" _

**VINCENT**

I knew this conversation would be in our future—especially since Muirfield captured her. I had a feeling Beowulf would bring something up about Emily but I'm surprised he didn't tell her the story. I sighed. I had to tell her—especially after what she went through. She deserved to know.

"Emily…her name was Emily." I stated.

We sat down on the bed and Catherine held my hands, reassuring me that she was there for comfort.

"What was her last name?" she asked.

"Richmond. Emily Richmond."

"When did you two meet?" she asked, her interest never failing.

"We met at med school. I proposed shortly before the attack on 9/11. When I found out my brothers died, I enlisted. I didn't even tell her I was going—I just went. When Muirfield thought they had killed us, they weren't entirely convinced. So, just in case, they decided to interrogate the closest person to each of us—in this case, it was Emily.

"A few months before they took her, I had confronted her and told her what was going on. Let's just say she didn't take it as easy as you did. She gave me back her engagement ring and told me to never come near her again. That's when I went to find J.T. I had thought Emily would be more accepting but she wasn't. J.T., as far as I was concerned, was the only person I could trust.

"I found out that they took her hostage because when I went to check on her, she was gone. I knew she wasn't the type of person to just leave everything behind so I went back to the Muirfield headquarters. They had used the same torture they used on you on her. Her torturer was a scientist who went by the name White Fang. I managed to breach through the database unharmed and when I got to her, she was already dead. That's when I was confronted by White Fang. He told me what had happened—that they had tortured her to her wits end before she finally caved and said who I might be staying with. Unfortunately, Beowulf wasn't around at that time, so they didn't have anyone to view her memories. She died from electric shock. That happened about six months before I saved you from Muirfield assassins. I killed White Fang and all of his team members so no one would know I was still alive. After that, I swore to myself I wouldn't get emotionally attached to anyone, but then you came.

"You were different. I save people from time to time and even the people I save cower from me—praying that I won't hurt them. But you never ran away. In fact," I smirked, "I was the one who couldn't get rid of you."

Catherine placed her palm on my face and said, "This wasn't your fault, Vincent. I know that and I know you would never hurt me." She leaned her head against my shoulder and laced her fingers with mine and added, "I kind of wish I wasn't involved with anybody in the past ten years. It would have made parts of my life easier."

"By the way, you're not going to like this but your partner, Tess, kind of knows of my existence in your life." I said, hoping she wouldn't be mad at me.

"You told her about you?" she asked, more shocked than actually angry.

"Well, when you went missing, I thought the police resources could help. It turned out that in the end, I didn't need her. Don't worry, she didn't see my face."

"What does she know about you?!"

"She knows that I am a friend of J.T. and that we are somewhat romantically involved. I told her that the reason you've been sneaking off lately was to see me which explained a lot of her questions. She doesn't know my name and she doesn't know where I live. You're probably going to get an earful from her when we get home. Also, speaking of J.T., he told me he would call when his CIA friend deletes your phone info."

"I'm going to have to move." She suddenly says. "Muirfield knows where I live. I was lucky my sister was visiting my father at the time of this whole craziness but what will happen in the future? What if she's kidnapped because I wasn't there? I can't risk that."

"Let's talk about this later, okay?" I said, not wanting her to freak out like J.T. does all of the time.

"Alright." She replied. "I should call Tess…She's probably going crazy right now."

She pulled her badge out of her pocket but then I said, "Maybe it might be easier if you use my phone. My phone can't be tracked. Apparently, according to Tess, yours can."

"It can?! How was I not aware of this?!" she asked.

"Maybe you fell asleep during some briefing." I chuckled as I handed her my burner phone.

She dialed Tess's number and put the receiver to her ear as she waited for a storm to explode on the other end. This conversation will be rather amusing.

**CATHERINE**

Part of me finds it hard to believe that Vincent actually spoke to Tess. I mean, he was the one who made the rule of no outside contact with the human world. J.T. and I are the only exceptions. But, considering the circumstances, I believed him.

I walked a little bit away from Vincent to call Tess. I knew he was going to get some amusement from this conversation merely because he's the source. Part of me wishes he didn't have super-hearing because no matter how far I walk away from him in this room, he's still going to hear every single part of it.

"Hello?" Tess answered.

"Hi…It's me, Cat." I said, cringing for an explosion of anger.

"Oh my God! Where are you?!"

"I…I'm….I actually have no idea. But you don't have to worry. I'm safe." I replied.

"Are you with that sexy-sounding guy?" she asked. I heard Vincent chuckling in the background.

"And if I am?"

"Well, the way I see it, Cat, is that you're probably in some kind of cozy place with a sexy guy. I think you should use this opportunity and get laid. It may do you some good. You were always saying how you'd actually have to think to remember what it was like having sex."

"Tess!" I can't believe she said that! And Vincent wasn't exactly concealing the fact that he had heard that. There was a huge smirk on his face. He truly was enjoying this.

"What? I'm just saying you could use a little bit of that."

"Could we stop talking about this right now? I just called so you would know that I'm alive and well. Also, tell Joe I won't be arriving for work for at most a week."

"What do I tell him? You're at some kind of romantic getaway with a mysterious, hunky guy?" she asked. I wonder if she knew Vincent could hear her all the way across the room.

"Absolutely not!"

"To which part? Don't tell him that's where you are? Or that you're not at a romantic getaway?"

"I'm not even going to answer that, Tess. Look, just tell him I am visiting my family."

"And if he calls your family to check up on you?"

"Fine…tell him I just needed a week to myself without any distractions from the world." I stated.

"Will do. Just to let you know, you're not off the hook yet."

"I'm not?"

"No."

"Then what must I do to receive your justice apology?" I asked with a kidding tone.

"When you get home, you have to tell me about your little excursion."

I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this one. "Fine but expect a boring story."

"Whatever."

"Listen, I gotta go. Low battery." I lied.

"Okay but remember to use protection." She laughed as she ended the call.

At that point, my face was redder than a tomato. I don't know which reason I was redder for—the fact that I was angry with Tess or the fact that Tess was practically telling me to have sex with Vincent. Not to mention the fact that Vincent could hear the ENTIRE conversation!

"Your friend seems pretty spunky." Vincent said with a smirk.

"Well, that's Tess for ya. She loves digging for the dirt." I stated nervously. I was sure he could hear my heart palpitating a million miles per minute. Hell, I even heard it. "I could tell you were amused by my little conversation with Tess."

"A little bit." He sneered as he kicked off his shoes and lay on the bed. I scooted next to him and leaned my head against his shoulder as he turned on the T.V. Suddenly, I had an urge to kiss him but I was afraid where that kiss would lead. I still had some walls in my life that I'm not ready to break down yet.

"The real reason I brought up Tess earlier was because she said something and it has been troubling my mind."

"What did she say?"

"That most of the guys in your life have bailed on you." He whispered as he stroked my face.

I sat up, knowing a serious conversation was just about to start, and sighed. "If there's one thing I know about Tess, it's that she has a habit of running her mouth when not warranted. You're lucky you didn't tell her your identity because who knows who she may accidentally tell."

"What happened?" he asked. His question wasn't demanding, it was an open-ended question—one I could refuse to answer if I wanted to. But I thought that maybe talking about parts of my past will help me knock down the walls I've built up.

"I had my first boyfriend when I was sixteen. He was a senior in high school and I was a sophomore. Let's just say I had a huge crush on him that I didn't realize his true intentions. He was a jock on the football team and he and his teammates decided to start a contest. They made a list of "desirable" teenage girls from the high school. The winner of the contest would be rewarded if he slept with as many girls on that list. My name was on that list. On our second date, he tried to rape me but I managed to escape before anything happened. The next day of school, he had told people that I was the one who came onto him. No one believed me because I wasn't the popular girl. All throughout high school, I was labeled as a slut just because of one stupid guy. I couldn't wait to leave for college—at least there, I could start fresh. From my sophomore year of high school through my senior year of college, I gave up on guys. I focused on my studies because I was afraid I would make the same mistake I did in high school. My mother was killed when I was a freshman at Princeton **(A/N: I noticed that in the series, Silverfox stated that Catherine went to Princeton, not Harvard so I fixed it in Ch. 10 to stay consistent.)** and since I had no one to share my pain with, I pretty much closed everyone out of my life. I didn't realize I had done it but, a few weeks ago, my sister made it very clear to me that I was shutting myself away from my family.

"After graduating, this one guy asked me on a date. Considering that I was done with school, I accepted his invitation. After a few months of dating, he had finally seduced me into sleeping with him. Big mistake that was. The next morning, I found a note on my bed saying something like, "it was fun and all but you're not my type." The next summer was when I entered into the police force because I decided I shouldn't waste my time with lowlifes like him. When I searched his name through the database, I found out he was a wanted sex offender. Since he didn't know I had joined the NYPD, he told me where he was because he wanted to "apologize" for what he did. When I arrived to his "hideout", he was tied to a chair with a rope and knocked out cold. Wait—did you do that?" I suddenly asked, putting two and two together.

Vincent slightly nodded, saying, "I saw his face on the television about four days before he called you. I didn't know he had connections to you or anything. I just knew he had plans to rape another innocent woman. So, I found him and knocked him out before tying him to a chair. Again, I had no idea you were his next victim."

"It's ironic how things work out." I laughed but then continued, "One of the best decisions I had ever made was to throw that piece of scum off the streets and into jail." After learning the truths of that D-bag, I closed men off completely. I refused to go on dates and refused to talk with them outside of profession. But then Zeke came along. I guess the one thing that somewhat attracted me to him was that he wasn't the typical "nice" guy. The other two were jerks pretending to be nice. Zeke was edgy and different. We were together for a few months but it didn't work out. He thought my being a cop was a drag because he couldn't do things he wanted like smoking pot. He's also receiving a few years in jail for possession of pot. He can thank me for it once he gets out of jail. And that's pretty much the history of my love life—dumb and boring."

"Did you ever find out what happened to that high school lowlife?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah…sometimes, no matter how old someone gets, they can't get rid of their habits. When he was 20, he impregnated a 15-year-old girl after raping her. He received ten years because, although she was the first to confess, she wasn't the only minor he raped. Sometimes, I feel as if it was my fault for not doing something about it when I had the chance. If I said something to the police, maybe he would have been locked up beforehand. He was eighteen after all."

"Catherine, you can't blame yourself for the actions of others. People are responsible for their own actions. How could you have known he would turn out to be a serial rapist?"

"That's the thing, I wouldn't have. But still, I feel like I should have done something—said something."

Vincent grabbed my hands and said, "Don't blame yourself for that. He got what he deserved."

"I know…But part of me wishes he received more time because men like him never change. Once they're out, they'll repeat the process—perhaps even kill the next time."

"Catherine—you're not Batman. You don't have to be responsible for everybody. People make wrong decisions and eventually down the road, they pay for it in some shape or form. Just like all three of those guys, Muirfield will eventually face the justice they deserve."

"You're right." I mumble as I wrap my arms around him and lean my head against his chest.

"Your blood is still pulsing slightly faster than usual, Catherine. You're anxious about something, what is it?" he asked, dead on target.

I sighed. Nothing can get past him. "All of my experiences with guys have been less than satisfactory. I have walls upon walls built because of those experiences. No matter how nice and how wonderful a guy may seem, they always turn out to be jerks. You, on the other hand, have been so caring and loving. You listen to what I say and you have treated me with the utmost respect. But the one major difference between you and those lowlifes is that you're on the run. You have to leave immediately if Muirfield ever catches onto your trail. How do I know you won't leave me behind like the furniture in your building?"

I looked up at him as I asked him that last phrase, wanting a clear, honest answer.

He wraps his strong arms around my body as we both inhale one another's scent and he kissed the top of my head. "Catherine, you know as well as I do that my life isn't easy. Yet, due to your stubbornness, you wouldn't take no for an answer. You continued to come back even after I showed you my alternate appearance. You, besides J.T., were the first to accept me for who I was and gradually, I have accepted the fact that you are a part of my life now. Hell, even J.T. is coming to terms with it. I know I've probably said this a few times before but when I'm around you, I tend to forget about the darkness in my life. All I see is light—hope when I'm with you. You've given me a chance to live life again—to help people like I used to as a doctor. If there's ever a reason I have to leave because of Muirfield, I would like you to come with me but I know you wouldn't want to leave your life behind. If I do have to leave and for some reason, you can't come, I'll make sure you know where to find me if ever you need me. And then I'll come back, when it is safe."

As he had spoken, I could feel the warmth of his breath against my mouth. I never thought he would actually give me a choice to follow him. I thought he would turn out like all the other men and shut me out the moment he needs to leave.

Vincent interrupted my thoughts and whispered as he cupped my face, "Catherine, I'm deeply and madly in love with you and I will never leave you like that. The only reason I'll ever leave you is if you kick me out first."

"Do you mean that?" I asked, still a little insecure about this whole relationship.

"I do." He mutters before pressing his lips against mine.

I stopped him for a second and whispered those three powerful words which can make or break any relationship in a second, "I love you, Vincent Keller."

At that very moment, I knew I can be safe with Vincent and I think I was ready to knock down some of my walls for him. All of my doubts and fears were soon forgotten because I was with the man I loved and nothing else really mattered.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Don't worry, there is still more to the plot left! :3**

**Well, hopefully you liked this chapter. I won't be able to write tonight :[ because I'm going to see a concert! XD**

**Have a great night!**


	14. Chapter 14

**IMPORTANT REMINDER: ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THIS FANFICTION MAY OR MAY NOT AFFILIATE WITH THE SERIES. **

**EX: I HAVE NO IDEA IF OR IF NOT MUIRFIELD HQ HAS UNDGERGROUND TUNNELS! THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING I MADE UP SINCE THE SERIES IS NEW! ^_^**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Vincent interrupted my thoughts and whispered as he cupped my face, "Catherine, I'm deeply and madly in love with you and I will never leave you like that. The only reason I'll ever leave you is if you kick me out first."_

"_Do you mean that?" I asked, still a little insecure about this whole relationship. _

"_I do." He mutters before pressing his lips against mine. _

_I stopped him for a second and whispered those three powerful words which can make or break any relationship in a second, "I love you, Vincent Keller." _

_At that very moment, I knew I can be safe with Vincent and I think I was ready to knock down some of my walls for him. All of my doubts and fears were soon forgotten because I was with the man I loved and nothing else really mattered._

**VINCENT**

I don't think I have ever woken up so hopeful for my future before. Sure, ever since I started hanging out with Catherine, I've looked forward to my day but that pales in comparison to this new feeling I am experiencing. Here I am, lying in bed with the only woman in the world who has ever accepted me for who I am. I never thought a life like this could ever be possible for me since Afghanistan.

Catherine stirred in her sleep as she inhaled our mixed scents embedded within the bed sheets. There are no words to describe what happened last night. After we confessed our feelings to one another, our innocent kissing transformed into longing desire for each other. Let's just say Catherine will definitely have more than a boring story to tell Tess when we go home.

I felt Catherine stroking my bare chest, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Hey." I smiled as we both stretched amidst the entanglement of the bed sheets.

She also smiled before planning a short morning kiss on my lips.

"What time is it?" she asked as she sat up and then leaned against my shoulder.

I looked at the clock and mumbled in my morning voice, "Close to 9 A.M."

Suddenly my phone rang, interrupting our current euphoria.

I reached over and picked up the phone, before answering, "Hello?"

"I've been calling you all night and all you have to say is "HELLO?""

"Well good morning to you too, J.T." I rolled my eyes in a joking manner.

"Why do you sound overly cheerful?" J.T. asked, noticing the joy in my voice.

"No reason at all."

"Why didn't you answer your phone, Vincent? You always answer your phone, day or night!"

"I was a little bit...preoccupied. Most people sleep at night, J.T."

"But you're not most people. Seriously, what could you have been so busy with that you wouldn't have answered your phone?" J.T. once again asked, wanting a straight answer.

"Just leave it alone, J.T. Now, did your friend erase Catherine's phone data?"

"Yeah..."

"Is that all you called for?"

"Besides the fact of making sure you're alive? Yeah, that's about it."

"Okay. How are things in New York City? Any sign of Muirfield?" I asked.

"As far as I know? Muirfield hasn't made an appearance since the whole kidnapping deal. But, it is Muirfield we are talking about."

"Alright. I'll see you later, J.T." I said.

"Wait? When ar—" I ended the call before J.T. could bombard me with any further questions.

"Sounds like J.T. could use some coffee." Catherine snickered. "I bet he was up all night worrying over you."

"J.T. doesn't need coffee, Catherine. He needs a woman." I replied before trapping her underneath me.

"No arguments there." She laughed before I placed my lips over hers. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and from then on, nothing could deter us from this single moment. We knew that, once returning, fantasies would have to end and reality would have to begin again. But just for this moment, we didn't care about the outside world. For now, this Safe Haven was our world and we were the only ones in it.

**CATHERINE**

I never thought I would ever fall in love again. Before Vincent, there was only work. It wasn't because I didn't have time to be with someone, it was because I didn't want to drown myself in another relationship full of lies.

"We'll have to return tomorrow." Vincent suddenly said as he stroked the back of my bare shoulder.

"I know." I replied, a little disappoint that our intimate relationship will have to come to an end. I knew what I was getting into the moment I succumbed to my desire of being with him. We both would resume our normal lives and occasionally, we would see each other. I can't risk Muirfield finding him—not at my own cost.

"Catherine?"

"Hm?"

"I've been thinking…Until you find a new apartment, why don't you stay with me?" he asked completely out of the blue.

"What about my job? Muirfield could follow me and—"He placed his finger on my lips.

"Catherine, whether you temporarily stay with me or not, you are on Muirfield's radar. I'd feel better if you were always close by so I wouldn't have to sneak out of the warehouse to watch you at night. It's a wonder how they haven't shown up at the warehouse already."

"Vincent, I can't risk that. I am a cop and I have duties. I'll have to leave late at night if there's a case and who is to say I won't be followed on my way back? What about my precinct? I'll tell them that I want to move to a different location because of the whole threat incident but what would I tell them when they ask me where I'd be staying? I can't tell them I'd be staying with my sister because, well, she lives with me. Speaking of which, what am I going to tell her about my relocating?"

"Doesn't she have a boyfriend she can temporarily stay with?" he asked as he propped himself with his elbow.

"Maybe it would be wise not to move." I stated, not really thinking about the situation at all.

"Catherine, Beowulf is still alive. He knows where you live and won't rest until his mission is complete. He'll kidnap you again if we don't take precautions. I know temporarily living with me is risky because of your job but in order to keep you safe, I'm willing to take it."

"What about during the day? Are you going to follow me even then?"

He chuckled a little bit before saying, "Ever since that first attack between you and Muirfield at the subway station, I've been following you while you're on the job. If, for some reason I cannot keep tabs on you, I trust you'll be safe. Besides, you're surrounded by a group of cops during the day. I'm sure Muirfield wouldn't try to snatch you off the streets when you're working—that would be careless of them. They're more of night-grabbers."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? I might as well get a new car. At least then, Muirfield wouldn't know what car I drive." I rolled my eyes. I have seriously gotten myself into a pickle.

"How long do you think it'll take you to find another apartment?" Vincent asked. I sat up and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know…It could take a few weeks to a couple months." I replied.

"We'll figure this out, Catherine. In the meantime, please consider staying with me."

Vincent was right. We don't have to figure everything out at once. "I'll think about it."

What else could I say? I really wanted to say yes but I was afraid of confirming to the one thing that could lead to Vincent's and even J.T.'s deaths. I wasn't sure I could risk that.

I slid from the bed as I wrapped a sheet around my body and said, "Do you mind if I look around? I would actually like to see the rest of this place aside from the bedroom."

"Not at all. In fact, I guess I should give you a tour." He stated before taking the other sheet and wrapping it around his lower half.

As we toured the house, I couldn't help but get a sense of fulfillment. I wonder if, after Muirfield is taken down, this would be our life. Would it be possible for marriage in the future? Children? All of these possibilities filled my head. I could see myself with Vincent for the rest of my life. I just wonder if he's thinking the same thing.

**VINCENT**

"Vincent, you didn't tell me your Safe Haven was a mansion!" she stated as we walked in the lower level of the house.

"I didn't feel a need to."

"Well, I do have to say, you were right when thinking that Muirfield wouldn't be able to find you here. For a man on the run, you've got a pretty nice place in waiting."

"I had money saved up from being a doctor. Luckily for me, I never trusted banks so I always cashed my paychecks and then stored the money myself. When returning from Afghanistan, I gave J.T. my savings to buy this place as our secondary hideout. Most people, who live in houses like this, use them as summer homes. So, it is natural that the furniture is always covered up."

"Brilliant." She replied as we walked onto the patio. "There's even an inside pool…."

Suddenly taking me by surprise, she slips off the bed sheet and dives in before motioning me to join her. Finding this situation rather amusing, I released my sheet and jumped in. In honest truth, I have never seen Catherine this carefree of worry before. I wonder, just as she makes me feel alive, do I make her just as alive?

As I watched her swim, I couldn't help but wonder if this could be a possibility for us. Could there ever be a day where we can marry and possibly have children?

Suddenly, I could hear my phone buzzing. Knowing it was J.T., I slipped out of the pool as I told Catherine I'd be right back. I ran to the room and answered the phone, hoping his reason for calling was nothing. "Hello?"

"Vincent—good, you answered. Look, you two need to get down here as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"Catherine's apartment building has been burnt to the ground."

And every good feeling I had felt during the day suddenly crashed down, knowing I would have to be the one to tell her the bad news.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yeah, I know, another cliffhanger. :I**

**Hope you've enjoyed it so far. ^_^ I know I have.  
**

**Preview for next chapter:  
**

**How will Catherine take the bad news? Will Catherine take Vincent's offer and temporarily stay with him?  
**

**Please tell me what you would like to see with this fanfiction!**

**In the future of this fanfiction, would you like to see Vincent find a cure? Would you like him to remain a beast? Please let me know, I want to make readers happy! ^_^  
**


	15. Chapter 15

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Suddenly, I could hear my phone buzzing. Knowing it was J.T., I slipped out of the pool as I told Catherine I'd be right back. I ran to the room and answered the phone, hoping his reason for calling was nothing. "Hello?" _

"_Vincent—good, you answered. Look, you two need to get down here as soon as possible." _

"_Why?" _

"_Catherine's apartment building has been burnt to the ground." _

_And every good feeling I had felt during the day suddenly crashed down, knowing I would have to be the one to tell her the bad news. _

**CATHERINE**

I planted my arms on the side of the pool as I watched Vincent walk back towards me. His face was completely blank. Wasn't it just moments ago he was smiling? What could have happened in the last three minutes for him to change his expression? Somehow, I knew there was bad news.

"What's wrong?" I asked as he helped me out of the pool. I noticed a towel hanging on the wall so I wrapped it around my body as Vincent did the same with a different towel.

"Catherine, you may want to sit down." He said with a stern voice.

"Vincent, what's going on?" I spoke assertively.

He sighed and took my hand, guiding me to the family room of the Safe Haven. He sat down and guided me to his lap. I leaned my body sideways, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, lacing my fingers together.

Again, I repeated my question, "What's wrong, Vincent?" It sounded more of a demand than a question.

"That was J.T. who called."

"I figured that out since he's the only one other than me who knows your number." I said. Why is he prolonging the inevitable?

"Catherine, I have some bad news."

"What?"

"This isn't easy for me to say but J.T…..He told me your apartment building has been burnt to the ground. There's nothing left." He said, never removing his gaze from mine.

"W-what? A-are you sure?"

"Yes." He said in a low, whispering tone.

"M-my sister! What if she's hurt?! She was supposed to be home yesterday—what if…what if she's…" but I couldn't finish the thought.

Every muscle within my body trembled.

Vincent cupped my face with his hands and said, "Catherine—don't think the worst. We don't even know the explicitness of the damage. For all we know, she could have delayed her plans."

"And the other residents? What if—Oh God! It would be my entire fault! I am the reason they may be dead!"

Vincent shook my shoulders gently, saying, "Catherine! Calm down! Don't do this to yourself! Worrying about nothing won't help either of us! Go back to the bedroom and call your sister with my phone. Afterwards, call Tess. Ask her if she knows what's going on, okay?"

"And then what?" I asked, searching for some kind of hope in his eyes.

"We'll take it from there." He said.

Without further words, I slid off of his lap and slowly walked to the bedroom. He followed—knowing, despite the outcome, I wouldn't want to be alone in this.

I picked up his phone and dialed Heather's number.

As I heard the phone ring continuously, I could feel my throat dropping to my chest. She always answers her phone—even from unknown callers.

Suddenly, at the last second, I heard a soft hello.

"H-Heather?!"

"C-Catherine?! Oh my God! You're alive!"

"Thank goodness…" I whispered in relief. "I thought you could have—"

"I decided to stay a few more days with Dad. Cat, are you aware of what's going on? Where are you?"

"I can't tell you where I am, Heather. I heard about the apartment building and thought the worst. I'm so glad you're not hurt."

"Cat—where have you been for the past week? I have been trying to call you and call you to let you know I wasn't coming home when planned but you never answered your phone."

"You called?" I asked with a darkened expression. If she called, Muirfield now knows about her. Who knows if they copied her information as leverage? "Listen, Heather, whatever you do, just stay with Dad. His place has high security so I can sleep knowing you're safe. I know this sounds very bossy but never leave the house alone—always have someone going with you. Alright?"

"Cat—I don't understand."

"You don't need to. Listen, I've gotten entangled into something huge. That's why the apartment building was burnt down. It was a message. Please, just trust me. Until this entire situation is dealt with, you and Dad cannot contact me. Got that? I can't risk the two of you getting hurt because of what I'm mixed up with."

"Cat—you're speaking crazy. Tell me you didn't try to track down more information about Mom's murder."

"I've already told you too much, Heather. If, for some reason you need to leave a message, call the precinct but ONLY for emergencies. I have to go, Heather." I said with a shaky voice.

"CATHERINE! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?!" Heather shouted. "I'm your sister for crying out loud! We used to tell each other everything!"

"Heather, you have to trust me. I can't tell you what's going on and I can't risk any more exposure. This will be the last conversation we have until I know it is safe."

"When will that be?!"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Heather. I truly am. Please tell Dad not to worry and that I'll find a way to end this. Goodbye."

Before my sister could respond, I ended the call and sank to my knees. I felt Vincent rub the back of my shoulders.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Catherine?"

"For now, it is the only thing I can do. I'm not going to risk any more lives. I've decided, Vincent. Until Muirfield is destroyed, I'm taking a sabbatical from work. If the offer still stands, I would like to stay with you and not just temporarily. Buying a new apartment will get my name back on the grid but if I'm not registered to a home, Muirfield may not be able to find me."

"If that's what you want to do, I have no objections. Are you going to call Tess?"

"Yeah…But first, I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Before we go home, can we make a pit-stop in Washington D.C.?"

"Why do you need to go to one of the busiest cities in America?" he asked, bemused.

"Before my mother died, she donated some books to the Library of Congress. What if…what if one of those books contained her research notes? I was with her when she donated them and she told me that one day, this trip will have a purpose. I'm beginning to wonder if that was a clue."

"How did Beowulf not find that information?"

"Because, he started the machine at ten years ago. We went to DC a week before she was murdered."

"Okay…I guess the best place to blend in to society would be a large city." Vincent stated. "I get things ready as you call Tess."

"Alright." I replied before he quickly pressed his lips against mine. I glanced at him as he slipped his boxers up over his body and then the rest of his clothes.

I didn't notice how fast my heart was beating until he said, "After last night, I would think you would have tamed your heartbeat a little."

"I c-can't help the fact that my body has a mind of its own." I said. Not the best reply but it was too late to take it back.

He walked over to me and, once again, pressed his lips to mine. But this time, he didn't end it as quickly. After a few minutes, he released my lips and smirked, "We'll have to work on that, won't we?"

Does he know what he does to me? I swear, every time our lips touch, my head spins and my heart paces faster than the speed of light. I guess we both need to learn how to control our emotions.

As he left the room, I took a seat on the bed and dialed Tess's number. This is going to be a long conversation.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tess. It's me, Cat."

"Cat, I have some bad news for you."

"I know. I heard about it elsewhere. Please tell me no one was hurt." I said, praying she would give me a hopeful answer.

"I'm afraid I can't, Cat. The police and fire department have been at the site all day. So far, we've found three dead bodies—a mother and her two sons. Luckily, your sister called me and told me she prolonged her stay before all this mess happened. Catherine, you have a lot of explaining to do! First the death threat, then the kidnapping and now this?! What in the world have you gotten into?"

"Tess, if I could tell you, I would but I'm sworn to secrecy!"

"By whom? That hunkster you're currently seeing?"

"Tess, I promised I wouldn't say. You've just have to trust me. That hunkster and I will be coming home soon. We have to make a pit stop somewhere, which I can't tell you either, and then we'll be returning."

"Where will you be staying now that your apartment has gone up in flames?" she asked.

"With him." I stated.

"Which is where?"

"I can't tell you that either. Just know that I'll be safe with him. Also, are you near Joe?"

"Yeah…why?"

"I need to request a sabbatical. Obviously, someone is after me. I cannot give elaborate details but I think, for the sake of the precinct, that I don't come to work until this is taken care of."

"But that's the thing, Cat! How can we take care of something without knowing what we're taking care of?"

"I didn't mean the precinct, Tess. I meant me…and him….This is our problem and we can't allow anyone else to get involved. Can you do something for me, Tess?"

"Before I consent to anything, you BETTER explain your ass off when you return! While you're gone, Joe will probably stick with Wolansky of all people." she complained.

"I promise, when all of this ends, I'll explain everything."

"Okay. What do you want me to do?"

"Please keep an eye on my family. I've temporarily cut ties with them to keep them safe. I can't lose another person I love. Could you do that?"

"Yeah…but you OWE me for this!"

"Don't worry. When this is all over, I'll tell you everything."

"Before I hand your fate off to Joe, tell me, how productive was last night?"

I just knew she was going to fit that in somewhere within this conversation.

"And what do you mean by productive?" I asked, playing stupid.

"Let's put it this way, do you still have to think to remember what having sex is like?"

I sighed. No matter what I say, she's still going to bug me until I just outright tell her. "Let's just say, I probably remember what it is like better than you do at the current moment."

"Shut up!" she said in a girly tone. "What was it like? I mean, of course I know what sex is like, but you haven't had the best of experiences. So? Was it worth your while?"

"Tess, must we talk about this now? There are more important matters at hand!" My face reddened. I knew, even though Vincent was downstairs prepping our leave, he could hear every word. He's probably smirking or chuckling at the conversation.

"Cat—as odd as it sounds to anyone else, you're sex life is way more important than what you need to say to Joe. That can wait a few minutes and as long as I have the phone, you really don't have a choice. Is he in the room with you now?"

"Of course not! He's downstairs preparing for our little road trip. Tess, focus. Give the phone to Joe."

"Oh I'm focused, Cat. I'm all ears. Now, if you want to talk to Joe, you've gotta give me at least some kind of juicy feedback."

"Fine!" I replied, knowing that I was basically trying to persuade a brick wall. "It was better than I imagined!"

"Cat, you devil! You didn't tell me you were having fantasies about being with your mysterious boyfriend!" she said rather loudly.

"And you don't have to say that at such a decibel! Someone could hear you!" Unbelievable!

"Which was the best part? The exposition or the cl—"

"Tess! Seriously? With all of the details you want, I might as well write a narrative for you!"

"Would that be easier? I mean, it doesn't matter how the information is received only that it is sent!"

"I was being sarcastic, Tess. Honestly, Tess, I could tell you how perfect and wonderful last night which will make you feel, without a doubt, inferior based on your own experiences OR you could give the phone to Joe and when you sleep with Mr. Perfect, then we can talk."

"Oh….good point. I don't wanna hear about your stories until I find a man of my own to brag about." She said. I could honestly see Tess's face frown a little, knowing I was right.

"Alright. You've spared yourself for now but you're not off the hook, Ms. Catfish."

"Sure. Whatever you say. Now, can I please talk to Joe?"

"Yeah…"

I heard shuffling of the phone for a few seconds before a soft male voice spoke into the receiver. "Catherine?"

"Hi Joe. Yeah, it's me."

"Where the hell have you been, Chandler!? You're lucky Vargas told me you were out of town. Otherwise, this entire precinct would probably think you had died in the fire."

"Joe—listen carefully."

"I'm listening."

"You're going to hate me but I need a sabbatical. Due to the current events, I would feel better taking time off work. Don't worry about whether or not I have a place to stay because I do. I just can't tell you where or with whom."

"Is it with your secret boyfriend the entire precinct knows about?"

"Wh-How did you—?"

"Tess wasn't exactly discreet while talking to you on the phone."

Great. Now my entire precinct knows I rejuvenated my sex-hood last night. Thanks Tess. Thanks.

"Anyways, will you give me the sabbatical?"

"How long?"

"Indefinite. Could be a few months. I hope it doesn't take longer than that."

"I do not like the sound of this Chandler. What on this green Earth have you gotten yourself into?"

"I cannot tell you…or anyone. Just know that I'm doing this for the sake of everyone. Don't even try calling my cell phone, because well, it's information was entirely erase for all of your benefits. I'll discreetly check in every once in a while but for now, consider me off of the grid." As I spoke, Vincent had made his way back into the room before lying down next to me on the bed. He draped his arm around my body and pulled me closer to him. I leaned into his chest as he kissed my shoulder.

"Do you still want a biweekly paycheck? Or do you want me to hold that off too?"

I looked up at Vincent because I honestly didn't know what to say. Sure a little extra money would help the three of us (Remember J.T.?) but my payment is normally wired through a fund.

"Hang on Joe. I'll get back to you on that in a split second." I stated as I blocked the phone's microphone with my fingers.

"Should I say yes?" I whispered loudly.

"How is your money transferred?"

"Into my bank account."

"Muirfield can trace information through bank accounts. Ask him to wire it to Tess's account and then ask her if she's willing to drop off your pay in cash at the warehouse when it comes."

"But isn't the reason for living at the warehouse not to involve the outside world?" I asked, a little confused.

"Good point. J.T. is a doctor in biochemistry at the university. I think he makes an ample amount of money to support the three of us." Vincent replied.

"So should I decline?"

"Yeah…that would be for the best."

I placed the phone back to my ear and said, "Joe? You still there?"

"Yeah and I don't have all day for you to discuss a simple answer with your small peanut gallery."

"I've decided that it would be best that you hold all paychecks until I come back."

"I'll do this for you Chandler but you better bet your ass that the moment you walk back into the precinct, you're going to have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know. Tess already chewed on of my ears off. You don't need to chew the other." I stated. "Goodbye Joe."

Before he could respond, I ended the call and handed the phone to Vincent. "You better call J.T."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, if I'm going to be staying with you guys, he's going to need all the time he can to mentally prepare for it."

Vincent chuckled as I slid out of his grip and dropped the towel from my body. Even though I didn't have super-senses, I could tell he was staring at me as I slipped my clothing back on. Overall, I think I made many good choices today and I pray that temporarily cutting ties with my life won't be in vain.

**VINCENT**

I couldn't help but watch her as she gracefully slid off of the bed before discarding her towel. I wonder if she knew I was staring at her because she seemed to dress herself at a very slow pace—so slow; I got distracted.

"Hello?" I suddenly heard a voice echo from the phone. I was so caught up with Catherine's beauty, I briefly forgot I had already dialed J.T.'s number and pressed 'Talk.'

"Hello?" J.T. repeated.

"Oh! Hi J.T.!" I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"Normally when someone calls, the other person doesn't have to wait for a respond. Let me guess, you were distracted by Catherine." I could see him rolling his eyes.

"J.T., you're going to have to accept the fact that I'm with Catherine now."

"Wait…With-with? As in, you're with-with her? Like sleeping with her?!"

Here we go again.

"Yes, J.T., that's generally what people mean when their "with" someone. Anyways, you're going to have to get used to the idea. Especially since she's going to be living with us for a while."

"What did you just say?" J.T. asked. He probably wants to make sure he heard incorrectly.

"I said that Catherine will be living with us for a while. Besides, it would be better for everyone if she stays with us rather than coming and going from the warehouse."

"Vincent—she's a cop! If she lives here, her precinct may follow her and—"

"Calm down, J.T. before you have an ulcer. Catherine is taking a sabbatical while she lives with us. Technically, she's living with me since we have our own floors."

"Do you know what happens once you let a woman live in your home?! She'll start cleaning just because she's bored! Who knows what she'll start labeling once she goes to the kitchen!"

"J.T. Remember, we're on the run. We don't have that much stuff to clean. Catherine wanted me to call you to give you a heads up so you have time to mentally prepare for this."

"So, are you two coming home soon?"

"We should be home in a few days. Catherine and I are going to Washington D.C. to follow up on something and then we'll be home. I have a suggestion for you."

"What?"

"While we're gone, take this time and find yourself a woman. She'll do you some good. Literally."

"That's easy for you to say. You're the one with the woman in your arms."

"She's getting dressed, J.T."

"Dude, first of all, I didn't need to know that. Secondly, it's called a figure of speech. I'm sure you've heard of them before."

"I'm just messing with ya, J.T. I knew what you meant."

I chuckled as I heard J.T. mumble something like, "Why do I let him get to me like that?!" but then state, "Just be safe, Vincent. The three of our lives are banking on everything right now."

"I know, J.T. I know." I said before ending the call. J.T. was absolutely right. Catherine and I will have to be careful of our every move because if we aren't, we risk everything.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yep, longer chapter this time :)**

**More to come! PLEASE REVIEW! XD **


	16. Chapter 16

**IMPORTANT NOTE: **

**For those of you who do not know, I am a college student. As you guys are aware, I have been updating this fanfiction almost every day. Because I have two papers due within the next week, updating will be a little slower. It may take two days instead of one but please don't hate me! **

**. **

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_I chuckled as I heard J.T. mumble something like, "Why do I let him get to me like that?!" but then state, "Just be safe, Vincent. Our three of our lives are banking on everything right now." _

"_I know, J.T. I know." I said before ending the call. J.T. was absolutely right. Catherine and I will have to be careful of our every move because if we aren't, we risk everything. _

**CATHERINE**

We decided to stay one more night at the Safe Haven so we could have a fresh day to travel to D.C. I had no idea how far we were from D.C. but considering that Vincent didn't decline, we couldn't be too terribly far.

I woke up in Vincent's arms this morning. I cannot describe how euphoric it feels to wake up in the morning being held in the arms of the one you love.

As I slipped from the bed to take a shower, he hopped off, slid on his boxers and said he would make breakfast.

"Wait…since when do you cook?"

"Well I have to eat somehow. Let's just say if J.T. cooked, Muirfield wouldn't have to go through the trouble to find me because I'd already be dead from botulism."

"Botu-what?" Honestly, why does everyone like to use big words around me?

"Botulism," he smirked, "It's just another term for food poisoning."

"Gotcha." I replied. He quickly kissed my forehead before exiting the bedroom.

I was glad I had this time to myself. Don't get me wrong, spending time like this with Vincent is perfect but you can't blame a girl who needs to gather her thoughts every once in a while—especially with the turn of events.

People may think I'm crazy for falling with a guy I've only known for a few months, but, in truth, I feel like I've known him for much longer. Sure, I have kind of known him since my mother's death but the way he treats me makes it seem like we've been together for years.

As I washed my hair, I couldn't help but think about that poor mother and her two sons. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be dead. They'd still be alive, probably attending work or school. Out of nowhere, a wave of sorrow crashed over me and sent me to my knees. I don't know if it was because I felt sorry for that family of three or if it was an accumulation of everything that has happened over the years.

I heard the bathroom door open. Vincent. Sometimes I wish he didn't have super-senses. But now? With all that's going on, I don't think I can handle it alone. I need him and he needs me.

**VINCENT**

After I had finished cooking the last pancake, I heard Catherine crying. Without thinking, I turned off the burner and raced upstairs. I opened up the bathroom door and slowly walked towards the shower. Instead of invading her privacy, I leaned against the wall and asked, "Are you alright?"

I heard her sniff and rub her nose before standing back up. "I'm fine, Vincent. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed." She poked her head through the curtain and added, "Thank you for checking up on me though. I really appreciate it."

I decided it was best not to press the matter further. If she didn't want to discuss what was on her mind, she didn't have to. Instead, I changed the subject and said, "When you're finished, breakfast is ready."

"What did you make?"

"Pancakes. I figured it should be something simple." I replied.

"Yum. Okay, I'll be out in a minute. I'm almost done."

"I'll be downstairs waiting for you." I said before planting a short kiss on her lips. When she started to finish up her shower, I went back downstairs and set the table for our breakfast.

Soon enough, as promised, she came down in no time. She was fully dressed and ready for our road trip. We both ate in silence and cleaned up the dishes before heading out. Catherine got into the car and I finished locking up the Safe Haven.

"Vincent?" Catherine said as I scooted into the driver's seat.

"Hm?"

"How far are we from Washington D.C.?"

"A few hours."

"Alright." She replied.

After turning on the ignition, Catherine pressed her lips to mine.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done. You've saved my life countless times and you have always been there for me. Thank you, Vincent."

I could feel a blush creeping on my cheeks. I wonder if she knows what she does to me. "Y-you're welcome."

"Now, shall we go?" she asked.

I nodded and pressed my foot against the pedal. The moment Catherine mentioned those research books, I couldn't help but wonder if there's a cure embedded into them…or even a semi-cure.

**CATHERINE**

Just as Vincent had said, it took about two hours to get to Washington D.C. On our way there, we talked mostly about Muirfield and discussed their next potential moves. Vincent had asked me if I was okay after making the decision to temporarily fall off the grid. I told him I was fine with it but deep down, even though I knew it was the best decision, I regret making it—especially since no one really knows what's going on.

We arrived in D.C. and found a hotel and paid for one night in cash. It wasn't a fancy hotel but it was better than the stiff beds provided by motels.

"Should we leave our things in the room?" I asked after receiving the cardkeys.

"I don't think that's a good idea—especially since we're in the capital. Who knows what type of people work here? For all we know, a maid could be a spy. But, I do think you could use a new outfit. You still have blood splatters on your shirt."

"That is a good point. How about I go to the small gift shop and buy a sweatshirt? I think that should do the trick."

"Alright but I'm coming with you." He replied, not taking no for an answer.

We walked down to the gift shop hand-in-hand and went in and bought the sweatshirt as fast as we could. The more we avoid people, the better.

I took off my jacket as we got into the car and slipped on the sweatshirt over my camisole. "There. Blood-free." I smiled.

Vincent smirked as he drove us to the Library of Congress. We hopped out of the car and quickly walked up to the entrance, hoping no one followed us for any reason.

"Hello, May I help you?" the librarian asked.

"Yeah…we're looking for a few books." I replied.

"Well, you've come to the right place." She replied, showcasing the library with her gestures. "Do you know the title or the author?"

"Yeah…It's Vanessa Chandler…She donated a few journals a little over 9 years ago." I said.

Suddenly, an elderly man interrupted the conversation and said, "Did you say Vanessa Chandler?"

"Y-yeah. Did you know her?" I asked. Vincent squeezed my hand, warning me to be cautious. My mother did work with Muirfield after all.

"We were colleagues. You don't happen to be Catherine Chandler now would you?" he asked.

"Y-yeah…I am."

"Your mother and I used to work together before she left for some science group. After college, she started working here for extra cash until she could find a job that suited her interest. As you said, nine years ago, she donated her research."

"Is it possible you can tell me where?" I asked.

"Of course. She hand-delivered them to me and gave me specific instructions to keep them hidden. She told me that if, for some reason, you come looking for them, to give them to you because you may need them more than she did. Follow me." He said.

Vincent and I knew it could be a trap but we followed cautiously. Vincent kept me slightly behind him in case he had a reason to attack.

"Here they are." The man said. "Untouched and ready for the taking."

"Thank you, sir. You have no idea what this means." I replied as I took the books from his hands.

"I just hope they'll help you find whatever answers you are looking for." He smiled.

Still alarmed, Vincent took the books and put them in his shoulder bag before we left the library. That was easier said than done. Now, off to the hotel to figure out what all of this means.

**KF: Yeah, I know, a shorter chapter :I **

**Hopefully you liked it nonetheless!**

**Next chapter will entail the secrets to the journals! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello Wonderful People!**

**I just saw the newest episode and have to say, CW has redeemed themselves! XD**

**My heart was beating so fast towards the end (no spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen it)**

**But I died inside when I found out that the next episode won't play until the 29****th****! Q~Q**

**Anyhooo….I'll be typing this while I bawl my eyes out because of the long wait!**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Is it possible you can tell me where?" I asked. _

"_Of course. She hand-delivered them to me and gave me specific instructions to keep them hidden. She told me that if, for some reason, you come looking for them, to give them to you because you may need them more than she did. Follow me." He said. _

_Vincent and I knew it could be a trap but we followed cautiously. Vincent kept me slightly behind him in case he had a reason to attack. _

"_Here they are." The man said. "Untouched and ready for the taking." _

"_Thank you, sir. You have no idea what this means." I replied as I took the books from his hands. _

"_I just hope they'll help you find whatever answers you are looking for." He smiled. _

_Still alarmed, Vincent took the books and put them in his shoulder bag before we left the library. That was easier said than done. Now, off to the hotel to figure out what all of this means._

**VINCENT**

"Catherine…"

"Hm?"

"I don't think we should look at them yet." I said.

"Why not?"

"Because…this whole situation seems fishy."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she opened the door to our hotel room.

"I don't buy the fact that your mom would just hand her life's work to a former coworker."

We placed our things on the table near the bed before sitting down on it.

"Yeah…I thought that was a bit fishy too. My mother was very secretive with her research. She had a private room at home with a padlock on the door. She wouldn't even let my father look at them."

"Exactly which is why we should wait to read them when we know we're safe." I replied. Catherine leaned her head on my shoulder and laced her fingers with my hands.

I placed a kiss on the top of her head as she said, "My mother wrote in code…so no one could steal her research. If a research topic was completed, she would then type it out before sending it to be published. If this research wasn't finished, it would most likely be in codes."

"Did your mother leave behind some sort of code-cracking method?" I asked, hoping we weren't at a dead end.

"No…I'm afraid not." She replied as she looked up towards me. I placed my palm on her cheek and stroked it gently.

"Oh…well maybe when you do see it, you'll recognize some of it." I said with hope.

"Maybe." She whispered before I pressed my lips against hers. She snaked her arms around my torso before she slipped her fingers underneath the hem of my shirt. She brought the material up and over my head and discarded it onto the floor. I shivered as I felt her cold fingers press against the flesh of my back. I felt my craving for her touch increase as my lips travel down her neck. After her fingers trailed up my back and neck, she began twisting her fingers with strands of my hair; increasing my arousal. Before we knew it, we forgot about our existing problems, only focusing on sharing our desire for each other.

**CATHERINE**

There is no way to describe my love for Vincent other than the fact that it is real. It could sound like I'm bragging, but when I'm with Vincent, I feel beautiful. I feel like I don't have to hide behind a mask of makeup or a layer of clothes for him to return his feelings. He makes it very clear how much he loves me through words and gestures as we consummate our love.

I woke up early in the morning and smile, remembering the beauty of last night's intimacy. I feel Vincent's warmth emanating from behind me as his warm breaths puff behind my ear. His arms were wrapped snuggly around my body, one between my breasts and the other around my waist. His chin was planted in the between the crook of my neck and shoulder.

For someone who has an adrenaline rush problem, Vincent seems to have an impressive amount of control of his emotions when we make love. I wonder if it's because he's afraid he'll hurt me. During our first time together, I was a little uneasy because I didn't know what to expect. But, my small fear was put to rest the moment our bodies molded together that first night.

"Can't sleep?" I heard him whisper against my ear.

"How did you know?"

"I heard your heart racing above the average sleeping rate. You're restless about something."

"I guess I have a lot on my plate right now. I feel bad for cutting off ties like that with my sister and precinct but I knew it was necessary as well. I just hope they can forgive me."

He pulled me closer to his body and replies, "They will. It may take time and some serious explanations but they'll pull through."

"You're right." I replied as I twisted around in his arms to face him. "Vincent?"

"Yeah?"

Before I said anything, I pressed my lips to his to make sure all of this wasn't a dream. If it is a dream, I never want to wake up. After removing my lips, he smirked but didn't say anything.

"Can you promise me that you'll always be there to hold me at night?" I asked as my hand brushes some hair away from his face.

"Catherine, I told you that you're stuck with me. Remember? I'll hold you like this for as many nights as you want me to." He replied; placing his palm on my cheek.

As I pressed my face against his palm, I said, "Due to all that has happed, I don't think I can ever sleep alone again."

"You don't have to, Catherine. I'm right here and I'll never leave your side."

Once more, I closed the gap between us as I captured his lips with mine. Vincent rolled over until he was able to trap be between himself and the bed. Just as we were about to enter the world of solitary bliss, he whispered those three powerful words any woman would die to hear. "I love you."

"I love you too, Vincent." I smiled as we re-entered the moment of love and perfection.

**VINCENT**

I found Catherine nestled up against my body as I woke up to the sun's warmth. I lightly shook her so we could get an early start for home. Home—a place Catherine, J.T. and I will be sharing for now on. That's definitely going to be interesting at first, especially when J.T. and Catherine aren't really the best of friends.

She opened her eyes, giving me her best morning smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning." I replied as I slid off of the bed. "We should probably clean up."

"Is that an invitation?" Catherine asked as I made my way to the bathroom.

"I will leave that up to you." I stated before disappearing behind the bathroom door.

I turned on the water and as I waited for the water to warm up, I felt a pair of arms snake, from behind me, around my torso.

"Could this day be any more perfect?" she asked. Before I answered, I pulled her into the shower and gave her a kiss.

"I think it can be."

"Good because I don't want it to end."

I pulled her into the shower and from what happened soon afterwards, both of us had no intentions of leaving the shower any time soon.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Alright, this was more fluff than anything. I thought we could use a chapter focused more on their romance. Plus, the last episode inspired me :)**

**Hope you've enjoyed it thus far!**

**I'll update ASAP. **

**I may not be able to update tomorrow because I'm going to see Breaking Dawn Pt 2 (don't judge! I hate the books but thought that I should complete the trend and see the movie I theaters). **

**Will be updated for sure on Saturday! **

**I'll probably be able to get in at least 2 more chapters by Tuesday but then I won't be able to upload anything until after Thanksgiving break because I'll be going somewhere without wifi ;~; **

**I'll keep typing though and then upload any chapters I type as soon as I get home! XD**

**Enjoy your weekend! XD**


	18. Chapter 18

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Could this day be any more perfect?" she asked. Before I answered, I pulled her into the shower and gave her a kiss. _

"_I think it can be." _

"_Good because I don't want it to end." _

_I pulled her into the shower and from what happened soon afterwards, both of us had no intentions of leaving the shower any time soon. _

**CATHERINE**

We finally arrived at the warehouse about five hours after we decided to leave the hotel back in Washington D.C. As we unloaded the car, J.T. was giving Vincent an earful of what "could" have gone wrong during our prolonged semi-vacation.

"J.T., as you can see, nothing happened. We're fine." Vincent said as he placed the last of his things on the table inside the warehouse.

"How do you know? You could have been followed! Muirfield may be on their way here and we have no time to prepare for them! We've gotta move NOW!"

"If I thought Muirfield was following us, I wouldn't have come home."

"I still think we need to leave."

I walked over to Vincent and wrapped my arms around his torso. I wanted to give him any comfort I can give. "We're not leaving, J.T. At least, not yet." Vincent stated. "Now, I need you to go into town and buy two burner phones. One for me and one for Catherine."

J.T. looked at the two of us and added, "Do you want me to get a handful of condoms while I'm at it?"

I gave J.T. an "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT!" look as Vincent shouted with embarrassment, "J.T.!"

"Alright! Alright! I'm just messing with you two. I'm fairly sure you two are careful and are having safe sex."

Vincent and I looked at each other, knowing J.T.'s assumption was very, very false. Recognizing our sudden awkward silence, J.T. understood the silent communication immediately.

"Vincent, can I talk to you for a minute?!" he said, pulling Vincent away from me and probably to the furthest room from my location.

**VINCENT**

"What is it, J.T.?" I asked, annoyed.

"How can you be so careless?" he asked, in a loud whispering tone.

"J.T., what Catherine and I choose to do with our sex lives is none of your business."

"Uh, hello! Because of your condition, it has everything to do with my business. Remember when you first came to me after you were experimented on? You asked me to help protect your whereabouts. And that's what I did for ten years now. Don't get me wrong, Vince, I'm glad you have found someone such as Catherine who accepts you for who you are but I think you're making a big mistake in sl—"

"You think I'm making a mistake in sleeping with Catherine? J.T., weren't you the one who told me to tell her how I feel before she gives up on me? I finally did what you suggested and everything is great! Now you're telling me the idea of Catherine and I is a bad idea?"

"No. That's not what I'm saying. How many times have you and Catherine…you know…"

"I don't believe that's any of your business, J.T."

"Dude, seriously? I'm not in the mood for you to be secretive. Just answer the question, I won't judge."

"Fine…since last Thursday? Probably seven or eight? But what does that have to do with anything?"

"For someone who was a doctor, you don't seem to catch onto things quickly." J.T. said. "Having unprotected sex seven or eight times with Catherine gives you seven to eight different chances of possibly impregnating her! That's dangerous, Vincent. Very dangerous."

Suddenly, I could feel all of the blood drain from my face. I didn't even think about that possibility. Sure, I knew we should have used protection but everything just kind of happened. We didn't even think of possible consequences like pregnancy. "J.T., we don't even know if Catherine is pregnant. We shouldn't fret over something that could be nothing."

"Vincent, you're right in the fact that this could be absolutely nothing. But it could also be a very big something. We don't even know if your condition can be inherited! Even if it can't, if she is in fact pregnant and Muirfield finds out? They're going to do worse to her the next time they try to capture her!"

"I'm not going to let Muirfield take her again, J.T." I said with confidence.

"Vincent, you care about Catherine. Correct?"

"Absolutely."

"Fine. If you care for her as much as you say you do, you will do what is right and tell her what she needs to know. She needs to know what she's getting herself into, Vincent. She has a right to know. And then afterwards, you two need to start using some sort of protection."

I knew J.T. was right. I couldn't have Catherine walk into this in the dark. She has a right to know the possible consequences.

Still as pale as ever, I walked back into the room where Catherine was waiting. She saw me and smiled.

"Are you okay, Vincent?" She asked, probably noticing my pale expression.

"Come with me." I said, offering my hand. She took it without hesitation, allowing me to guide her to our destination.

It was dark enough where we didn't have to take rooftops to be safe. We just simply walked to Central Park and sat down in one of the benches.

"What is it, Vincent?" she asked, giving me a worried glance.

"Catherine, earlier J.T. reminded me of something very important involving the two of us. I wanted to speak to you in private because J.T. has no business in hearing this conversation. This conversation, as J.T. reminded me, is very necessary because I don't want you walking in the dark."

"What's going on?"

"Catherine, you and I are well aware of the fact we have been making love without protection. As much as I love it without the protection, we need to start using condoms. Now, I don't know how your body works and when your monthly flow occurs but there may be a possible chanc—"

Catherine placed her finger on my lips before I could finish my little speech.

"Vincent, if you're worried about my becoming pregnant. Don't. You and I made this decision together. I love you and if fate wants me to have your child, I will. I've already thought about the possible consequences of our love-making and I'm not going to worry about it." She said as she removed her finger.

"Catherine, I don't even know if this DNA issue is genetic. What if…what I do end up impregnating you? Who is to say the pregnancy won't kill you in the process? Who is to say this possible child wouldn't be normal? I love you Catherine and I refuse to allow anything to take your life! Especially when I can prevent it in the first place!"

"Vincent, if I'm pregnant, I would rather die than give up the child. My whole life I have wondered what my purpose is. Sure, I love being a cop but I never considered that as a reason I was born into this world. After meeting you, I have been more convinced every day that my purpose in life is to be with you. What if that isn't enough? What if it was more than just being with you? If…maybe….I was born to give birth to your child?"

"Catherine…."

"It's okay, Vincent. I'm fine with whatever happens to me. Besides, we don't even know if I'm pregnant. So for now, it isn't an issue."

"It will be one if we continue having sex without protection."

"And that's something I'm willing to risk, Vincent.

"Catherine, let's put this into perspective. Let's say you are pregnant and sometime along the road, Muirfield finds out. If they ever try to kidnap you again, they'll hurt you far worse than what they did last time. Besides, is this really the world you would want to bring a child into?"

I could tell she was thinking about it. I didn't want to destroy her hopes of having children with me but I also knew, deep down, that she didn't want to raise a child in the midst of this war with Muirfield. I felt her lean her head against my shoulder and sniff in the cool breeze.

"I've thought about it and from now on, we should start using condoms. But I have also decided that if, in fact, I am pregnant, I don't want to have an abortion. I want to keep him or her because this child would be living proof of not only our love, but also your existence. We shouldn't fret about what we don't know yet. But if I'm pregnant, I want us to be a family, Vincent. I don't want to end up raising a child on my own."

"Catherine, I would never leave you even if you are pregnant. I'm just worried for your safety and for your possible health. I have no way in knowing if my condition could be passed on through genetics. If it can, who knows what may happen."

"We'll face that road if it ever comes, Vincent. Okay?" she said as she placed her palm on my cheek. "Whatever happens, Vincent, I love you. Remember that."

Words did not have to be said at that moment. I placed my palm over her hand and cupped her face with my other one. I gently pulled her lips to mine to let her know how much I really did love her. One thing's for sure, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure Muirfield never finds us.

**CATHERINE**

After that heartfelt conversation, Vincent and I walked back to the warehouse. We decided to not tell J.T. about the journals because that would be just one more person knowing of their existence. We didn't want to rope him into that. We would only decide to tell him if it was absolutely necessary.

When we arrived at the warehouse, we found two burner phone boxes on the counter with another box of condoms. I took one of the phones and Vincent took the other, grabbing the other box in the process. We made our way up the stairs and decided to hold off the journal research for tomorrow. J.T. would be at the college teaching class and that would be the best time to do it.

"I'm going to have to call Tess tomorrow." I said.

"I thought you wanted to remain off the grid." Vincent replied.

"Well, since my apartment was burned, all of my clothes were destroyed. I can't send J.T. out to shop for me so I'm going to have to ask Tess."

"Are you going to go with her?"

"Should I?"

"I think it will be alright if you go shopping once and get some clothes. Besides, Tess will be with you so Muirfield won't try and kidnap you when you're with another cop. That would be very careless of them." Vincent stated.

"Okay then I'll see what she has planned for the night after tomorrow." I said.

"I'm sorry I sort of dragged you into this life." Vincent suddenly said as he pulled back the sheets on the bed.

"Vincent, you didn't drag me into this life. I chose this life. Sure, until Muirfield is finished, I will be missing out on parts of my life but, at the end of the day, I have you. I would rather give the world up if it meant I could spend every waking moment in your presence."

"Catherine, unlike J.T., you most likely won't ever be able to go back to work for a long while. Muirfield doesn't know about J.T. I've made sure never to link myself to him because I don't want him to have to throw his entire life away. You, on the other hand, are on Muirfield's radar. You must realize what your decision means."

"I know what it means, Vincent but I don't care. Sure, like I said, I will miss my family and friends but I'd rather know that they will be safe without me than fear for their safety when with me. After shopping with Tess, I'm going to stop all outside world contact except for dire emergencies. I'm going to give Tess my new number but I'm going to ask her to place it under a fake name so no one can stumble upon it. I'm only giving her my number in case there's an emergency. That's it. Okay?"

Vincent nods before taking off his shirt. "I just hope you won't have to be in hiding as long as I have been. It will soon feel like a prison in here."

"We'll get through this, Vincent. Let's just go to sleep so we can have fresh minds when we go through my mother's research."

"Okay." He replied before losing the rest of his clothing. After I slipped off my shirt and jeans, I felt Vincent unclip my bra and slide off my panties before I could object. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered the word "bathtub" in my ear before leaving me in the middle of his bedroom to calm my senses.

Suddenly, I hear, "Vincent, did you have to pay for any gas while you we g—"

"J.T.! For someone who hates it when I barge in, you're not so discreet yourself!" I stated as I grab the nearest thing to cover my body—Vincent's pillow.

"Well you shouldn't be standing buck naked in the middle of his room!" he replies as his face reddens exponentially.

"Hey Catherine, the bathtub is ready for us." Vincent said as he walked back in, wearing absolutely nothing. He saw my distress and then notices his best friend standing in front of me with a very uncomfortable expression on his face.

"I so did not want to hear that right now!" J.T. mumbled. "Dude, seriously? I think I've been mentally scarred for the rest of my life!"

Vincent walked behind me so my semi-covered body would cover his and he said, "Pretend you saw nothing."

"Too late. I saw it all and as much as I want to burn my eyes right now, that scene will never go away. I wasn't aware you two were at that stage in your relationship where you'd just walk freely naked in any given room."

"J.T., as you know, this is my floor. And normally after a couple has sex, it isn't as weird to walk around naked before or afterwards."

"Like I said earlier, I do not need to be hearing this! Or seeing this!" J.T. stated. "Later, dude! I'll see you two in the morning—preferably dressed."

As J.T. left for the lower level, we couldn't help but blush at the situation. I'm sure J.T. and Vincent have accidentally walked in on each other before but I was sure J.T. saw EVERYTHING.

"Sorry about that. I forgot to lock the gate before coming up here."

"That's o-okay… I'm sure it was bound to happen sometime." I replied, knowing it was true. With me living here, who knows what else J.T. might walk in on. I'm just glad he walked in on me naked rather than Vincent and I—

My thoughts were cut off when Vincent wrapped his arms around me and removed the pillow. "Come one, let's go clean up."

I nodded and walked towards the direction of the bathroom, praying that J.T. will mentally survive the night.

**KF: Alright, there's chapter 18 for ya! :D **


	19. Chapter 19

**I am so excited to have finally reached over 100 reviews! Thank you so much for continuing to support this story! Don't worry; we're still not done here yet! :D**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_As J.T. left for the lower level, we couldn't help but blush at the situation. I'm sure J.T. and Vincent have accidentally walked in on each other before but I was sure J.T. saw EVERYTHING. _

"_Sorry about that. I forgot to lock the gate before coming up here." _

"_That's o-okay… I'm sure it was bound to happen sometime." I replied, knowing it was true. With me living here, who knows what else J.T. might walk in on. I'm just glad he walked in on me naked rather than Vincent and I—_

_My thoughts were cut off when Vincent wrapped his arms around me and removed the pillow. "Come one, let's go clean up." _

_I nodded and walked towards the direction of the bathroom, praying that J.T. will mentally survive the night. _

**CATHERINE**

As promised, I called Tess a few hours after I woke up and asked her to meet me in Central Park. Vincent didn't like the idea of me going to Central Park alone but we both knew he couldn't risk being seen during the daytime. So, instead, I promised him I would call him the moment I see Tess. And that's what I did.

"So, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?!" Tess stated immediately.

"I can't give you details yet, Tess. I'm sorry."

"So how is it going with Hunk-a-saurus?"

"If you're asking about our relationship then I can say that nothing could be more perfect." I replied.

"What else would I be talking about?"

"This whole mess we're both in."

"So why doesn't he want people to know who he is?"

"Because, he's in hiding. Listen, as much as I want to tell you what's going on, I can't. I promised him I wouldn't say anything about his situation."

"Catherine, for as long as I've known you, you've never been this secretive before. What has changed?"

"Tess, please just leave this to us. The fewer people involved the better."

We walked towards the clothing store in silence until Tess suddenly asked, "This guy…do you love him?"

"Yeah….I do." I smiled.

"So….have you two been sleeping together every night?"

"Something like that…If not at night, then early morning and sometimes afternoon."

"Jeesh...Is that why you decided to take off from work? So you can be with him all day?"

"No. It isn't. I'm taking off work because it isn't safe if I involve more people into this movement. Being with Bobby all day is just a major perk to the situation."

"Somehow I get the feeling his name isn't Bobby."

"It isn't but that's all I'm saying." I replied as I found an outfit to try on. "That's all I'm saying."

"So how long will it be until I see you next?"

"I don't know. It could be weeks, months or years. I'm in hiding now, Tess. I've cancelled all of my credit cards, withdrew all of my money from the bank, and cut off mostly all ties with friends and family. In truth, I would rather spend the rest of my days in hiding with Vin—with Bobby than risk the lives of all of the people I know and love."

"Your Bobby mentioned something the other day—something to do with a group. Is that what this secrecy is all about? Is there some group after the two of you?"

"You could say that." I replied. "Please don't ask anymore questions, Tess. I'm afraid I've already said too much."

"You better explain your butt off when this is over." Tess replied as she gave me another outfit to try on.

"I will. I promise."

That conversation was six weeks ago.

While J.T. was out lecturing to a bunch of brainy kids, Vincent and I were searching through my mother's books. Six weeks have gone by and so far, nothing. I was beginning to wonder if we were at a dead end. Wait a minute…

"Vincent… I think we've been looking at this the wrong way." I suddenly said.

"What do you mean, Catherine?"

"We've both read these notes very thoroughly but they never made any sense. Tell me, when reading them, did you find any connections….like if all of the notes contained the same topics?"

"No but look at the binding of each of the books…They aren't your typical book binding material. They're made from animal skin with the looks of it."

I examined the binding of each of the notes and Vincent was right! The binding material was definitely not traditional. Why would my mother go through the trouble in binding these books with animal skin?

"I think we need to unbind the books. I bet you, the actual notes are not within the handwritten research…I bet you, the secret lies within these bindings." I said.

We carefully unbound the books and laid out the animal skin as flat as possible.

"Now what?"

Suddenly a memory flashed back into my mind.

"_**Catherine, do you want a present?" **_

"_**What, Mommy?"**_

"_**I'm giving you my favorite pen." She smiled. **_

"_**Why Mommy? Don't you want it?" **_

"_**No, Sweetheart." **_

"_**Why not, Mommy?"**_

"_**Because, Catherine, it's ink contains magnetic properties." **_

"_**Don't you mean magic, Mommy?" **_

"_**Of course, silly. That's what I meant. Remember, Catherine, that whenever you feel like the world is crashing down, this pen will help you find all of the answers." **_

"Catherine, are you okay?"

I walked over to Vincent and rubbed his shoulders. "I think I know how to find her notes."

"How?"

"My mother was very detailed in everything she did. Most of her notes were written in black ink but not these notes. They were written in a pen with traditional newspaper ink."

"How did she get ahold of that?"

"She had her resources. Anyways. I remember watching my mother write on this animal skin when I was six."

"But why would she wait nearly twelve years to hide them in a library?" Vincent asked.

"I don't know…I'm trying to remember but it is coming back to me slowly." I replied. "All I know is that the bindings are important. Not the research itself."

"Or maybe, the bindings are the keys to how to read these books." He suggested.

I tried thinking but nothing was coming to me. "Ugh…I'm sorry Vincent. My trip to Memory Lane is not working right now."

"That's okay. Maybe your train will arrive again tomorrow. Come on; let's clean up this mess before J.T. gets home."

"Okay." I replied. Despite the progress with the notes, I couldn't help but wonder why my mother waited over ten years to officially hide her research. There has to be a reason. But what? I was determined to find out but before I worry about something that may never be answered, I had to focus on another issue—something J.T. (of all people) had to help me with.

Worst part?

I have a feeling that this issue won't be going away anytime soon.

**KF: Alright, there's chapter 19 for ya! :D **

**Tell me what you think this "issue" could be! **

**Also, what do you think could be the reason Catherine's mother delayed on hiding the research notes? **

**Find out next chapter!  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**In Case I haven't mentioned this before but because I AM SO FREAKING IN LOVE WITH THIS SERIES, I purchased the 1****st**** Season Pass on iTunes! So, as of now, I have the first 6 episodes and as each episode becomes available, it will download straight to my computer! What a WIN! That way, I can watch it during my Thanksgiving Break and I don't have to have WiFi to watch it! SCORE! **

**(by the way, the entire season pass was 19.99 :D)**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

_I tried thinking but nothing was coming to me. "Ugh…I'm sorry Vincent. My trip to Memory Lane is not working right now." _

"_That's okay. Maybe your train will arrive again tomorrow. Come on; let's clean up this mess before J.T. gets home." _

"_Okay." I replied. Despite the progress with the notes, I couldn't help but wonder why my mother waited over ten years to officially hide her research. There has to be a reason. But what? I was determined to find out but before I worry about something that may never be answered, I had to focus on another issue—something J.T. (of all people) had to help me with. _

_Worst part? _

_I have a feeling that this issue won't be going away anytime soon._

**VINCENT**

A week went by and we still haven't gathered any more clues. Rather than worrying about research that could be nothing, I was worrying about another problem—and I needed to speak to J.T. as soon as possible.

I gave Catherine a quick kiss on the forehead before making my way down the stairs. I crept down the stairs to avoid waking her and made my way to the crappy kitchen.

"You're up early." J.T. said.

"Well…I had a lot on my mind, JT."

"Like what? You thinking this situation is a big mistake for Catherine to be living here?"

"What? No! That's not it at all." That was the least of our problems.

"Then what is it?"

"JT, you might want to sit down….and drink."

"Uh-oh. You only say that when it has something to do with either Muirfield or Catherine? Which is it? Did you find out that Catherine is a secret spy for Muirfield?"

"J.T., be serious." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Then what? I'm running out of ideas here."

I went to the old fridge and pulled out a beer. Luckily, despite the warehouse's terrible electric problem, this fridge works like a charm because, along with the warehouse, it is also extremely outdated. I handed J.T. the beer and said, "I'm not telling you ANYTHING until you drink at least five large gulps."

J.T. sighed but drank the beer's contents anyways. "Well?"

"I think…I think Catherine may be pregnant."

"WHAT?! I THOUGHT YOU TWO WERE TAKING PRECAUTIONS!" He whispered loudly.

"We were…I mean…for a few days we weren't but after that conversation about seven weeks ago, we started using contraceptives."

"So you're saying that before you started using protection, it just so happens you actually did impregnate her!?"

"That's what I'm thinking…but I don't think she knows yet." I replied.

"How could you know before her?"

"I have super-hearing, remember? About four weeks ago, I thought I was hearing Catherine's heart beating irregularly. But then, after mentally analyzing it further, the inconsistent beats were small and consistent in their own pattern. As the weeks continued, the beat grew stronger and now, I'm very sure she's pregnant."

"A-are you going to tell her?"

"No. I think she should find out herself. I'll wait until she decides to tell me herself." I said. "My main reason for telling you this isn't because I want to beat Catherine to the punch. I'm telling you this because I'm worried."

"Worried because of her condition or worried about the child in general?"

"A bit of both. I'm worried that if Muirfield finds out about this, they'll definitely have a reason to kill her. I mean, who knows what this child could be capable of. That's also why I'm worried. What if this child destroys her? My DNA would also be a part of the child's DNA and there's a huge possibility the child may be born like me."

"Vincent, you're starting to sound like I do when I freak out."

"J.T., what should we do?"

"Whatever you do, she can't be seeing an OB/GYN. It would put her back on the grid. You're going to have to be her doctor if you two pursue this pregnancy."

"Me? I have no experience being an OB."

You don't need to. You have an ultrasound machine and you understand basic procedures for births. It shouldn't be that hard to do."

"I don't think that's a great idea…I mean, what if something goes wrong? Obstetrics and Gynecology are not my areas of expertise."

"Vincent, sleeping together without protection wasn't a good idea. Look, you two brought on this mess. I think you two should be the ones to take care of it."

"J.T., I'm not going to ask Catherine to abort the child."

"I didn't tell you to. All I'm saying is that you two have got to decide what you're goin gto do—whatever the solution is."

Suddenly, I heard footsteps making their way to the stairs. "J.T., we're going to have to continue this conversation another time. Catherine is on her way down."

"I've made my point very clear, Vincent."

"Shush." I hushed him as she started descending the stairs. "Good morning."

Catherine smiled and said, "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"Wonderful—considering how eventful last night was." I smirked.

"Would you excuse me? I'm going to go to the University before I change my mind and hurl all over this table." J.T. said as he grabbed his books.

Catherine rushed out to follow him as she said, "Wait!"

I decided imposing on their conversation would be an invasion of privacy so I decided to keep my mind occupied elsewhere. Though, I couldn't help but wonder why Catherine would be wanting to speak to J.T. of all people.

**CATHERINE**

I rushed out of the warehouse and caught up to J.T. before he left the property.

"What is it, Catherine?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"I need you to pick me up something…But you can't tell Vincent."

"What?"

"I need a pregnancy test." I replied with a blush creeping on my face.

"Whatev…I'll have a friend of mine pick up a package. There's no way in hell I'm going to be caught buying a box of tests."

"Thanks…" I replied, wondering why he didn't freak out like he normally does.

I went back inside and found Vincent preparing breakfast for the two of us. "Vincent, I've been thinking…Remember when I said my mother used newspaper ink to write her notes on animal skin?"

"Yes…"

"Well…I've thought about something…about why she didn't start hiding them until years later."

"What?"

"When I was younger, I would watch her place those animal skins on the windowsills every day. I remember learning in history class that, in due time, newspaper ink fades in the sunlight. What if she was purposely fading those notes so no one would read them?"

"That's a possibility but how would we read them?"

"That's another thing…The ink she used was magnetic…Is it possible for the ink to disappear but the magnetic properties to still exist?"

"It's worth a try." Vincent replied. "I'll call J.T. and ask him to bring home a petri dish of iron sawdust from the lab. If we sprinkle the dust onto the animal skins, there's a possibility we may be able to read the hidden message."

"Okay." I replied as he stood up to call J.T.

I placed my hand over my abdomen and hoped that if I am pregnant, I will be able to bring this child into a world of peace.

**VINCENT**

The rest of the day seemed to go by rather slowly. J.T. normally doesn't get off of work until 5 PM and sometimes even later. For most of the day, Catherine and I decided to utilize the bed for recreational sport if you get my drift. Despite what J.T. thinks, I could seriously live my life like this. I have the two most important people in the world right in this warehouse. And now, a third may be on his or her way.

As I laid on the mattress with the covers covering my lower half of my body, I heard Catherine walking back from the bathroom.

Lately, whenever J.T. would disappear during the day, we would find ourselves tangled in each other's arms and legs. I guess it was a normal part of our routine—not that I'm complaining.

Catherine walked back to the bed, slid under the covers and wrapped her arms around my bare body. I don't know if she has ever noticed but I seem to shudder whenever her soft skin caresses mine.

"I could do this all day." Catherine smiled before planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Maybe we can arrange that." I smirked as I rolled both of us over so that I could hover over her. As I leaned in to kiss her lips, our bodies melted together.

If only time could stand still and capture this moment for us because it was pure bliss.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Alright some fluff! :3 **

**Let me know where you'd like to see this fanfiction going?! **

**Reminder: I am going somewhere for the Thanksgiving holiday that will have no internet connection. I return Sunday so, if I cannot post the next chapter tomorrow, I will continue to type the chapters while on vacation and will upload as many as I had typed on the Sunday night I return!**

**I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  
**

**KF**


	21. Chapter 21

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

_If only time could stand still and capture this moment for us because it was pure bliss. _

**J.T. **

I was on my way to my car when I remembered that Vincent wanted me to pick up some iron shavings from the lab. I put my books in the trunk of my car, locked it and then made my way back towards the lab.

Suddenly, I saw her—the woman I've been trying all day to talk to.

She saw me and smiled. I smiled back—typical dorky response.

"J.T. Forbes! How are you!?" she asked as she ran up to me.

"I'm good. You?"

"I could use a bit of coffee but other than that, I'm doing fine. I thought you are normally on your way home by now."

"Oh…I am…It's just…I wanted to work on a lab at home to prepare for Monday but I forgot to grab the iron shavings. So that's why I'm on my way back to the lab."

"Oh! Right! Mind if I walk with you?"

"Sure…I mean…I don't mind." I said.

We walked up to the lab in silence. I grabbed the petri dish of the shavings and we started walking back. "Hey…um…this might sound a bit weird but….you see…my sister…yeah…my sister…didn't have time to go to the store today to pick up a pregnancy test and so….well….she asked me to…but….you know…it's weird for guys to buy things like that….so—"

"You want me to buy them for you so you won't get embarrassed? Right?" she asked, making my question a bit easier.

"Yeah…so you wouldn't mind, would you? Of course, I'll give you some cash for it…What would it be...$20?" I asked as I pulled out a small wad of cash from my pocket.

"It would depend if she wants a single test or a multipack." She replied.

"Oh…well….probably a multipack…if I know my sister, she always loves to double check everything." I awkwardly laughed.

"Well…then it would be around $20. Maybe a little less." She said.

"Okay. Well here's a twenty-dollar-bill. I can drive you over to the store if you want."

"It's alright. The university's store has a few boxes. I'll just buy one from there." Sarah smiled. We walked to the University store and I waited for her to return. She handed me the bag with the tests and said, "Here you are! I'm sure your sister will be very grateful."

"Oh…Yeah…she will….By the way, Sarah….you wouldn't mind having a cup of coffee with me sometime, would you?"

"I thought you would never ask." She smirked.

"Oh…right…I guess I never found the best time." I replied.

I walked her to her car and said, "I'll see you tomorrow at 9?"

"That sounds great!" she smiled before slipping into the driver seat.

As she drove off, I victoriously fist-pumped the air before I went to find my own car.

**CATHERINE**

"J.T.'s home." Vincent said before slipping out of the bed. I followed suit and we both re-dressed ourselves before J.T. could walk in on us—again…for what would be the fifth time. Whenever Vincent and I are...well…having fun, Vincent's senses seem to focus on only one thing. So, in the past, he never heard J.T. pull up in front of the warehouse let alone walk into our room. This time, Vincent paid better attention—allowing us to dress ourselves in time.

"Why don't you go and take a shower, Vincent. I'll meet up with you after I go talk to J.T. about something. Okay?"

"Alright. Just don't be too long...the last thing you want to see is me when my skin looks like prunes." He smirked before disappearing into the bathroom.

When I heard the water turn on, I go down the stairs and notice J.T. humming as he was pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Good day at work?" I asked with a smirk.

"I guess you could say that. Hey, I got the tests for you." He said as he threw me the bag.

"Thanks. I owe you one." I said.

"Actually, you owe me $18.46."

"Right…put it on my tab." I replied. "Did you get the iron shavings?"

"Yeah…they're in the petri dish which is also in the bag. Hope your experiment or whatever works out."

"I do too, J.T., I do too."

**VINCENT**

As I waited for Catherine, I couldn't help but wonder why J.T.'s heart was pounding. It wasn't pounding because of stress or fear…It seemed more….happy. I wonder if he finally found a woman. My thoughts were shaken from my head when I felt a pair of slender arms snaking my waist from behind.

"So…do you know why J.T. is in a rather good mood?" she asked.

"Well…I can hear his heart pounding with excitement." I replied.

"When I came down the stairs, I caught him humming and somewhat dancing as he was pouring tea. Have you ever seen him act like that before?"

"Well…he was probably doing his little victory dance. Whenever he feels accomplished about a certain thing, he tries to do a victory dance and sometimes hums as well."

"What do you think he's so excited about?"

"I'm not sure but I think he's found a woman…finally."

"Maybe you're right." She whispered as her warm breath tickled my back.

I turned around and pressed my lips against hers as her arms wrap around my torso. She encircled me with her arms latched behind my neck as her legs locked together around my hips. As our flesh molded together, we forgot about the shower part of showering and I turned off the water before rushing us back to the bed—steamy and wet. Pun intended.

"Vincent, J.T. may walk up here any minute!" Catherine said as I started kissing the nape of her neck.

"Let him." I mumbled, not really caring if J.T. walks in during every love session of our lives. Besides, he's walked in four other times…a fifth really wouldn't be that big of a deal.

As my lips traveled closer to her breast, Catherine stopped me. "Vincent, we really need to stop this…at least while J.T.'s up and about. It's not fair to him to walk in on our love-making every time he walks up here. He'll feel like a third wheel and I do not want to start that kind of drama. Also, we should be more focused on my mother's research notes. J.T. brought the iron shavings for us."

I sat up, knowing she was right. I should really go down there and talk about this with J.T. I definitely do not want him feeling like a third wheel. I kissed Catherine on the forehead and said, "I'm going to go have a talk with him. Okay?"

She nodded and replied, "I'll get a start on these notes and see if I find anything."

"Alright." I stated as I went back to the bathroom to dry myself off before heading downstairs to talk to J.T.

**J.T. **

I may not have superhuman abilities but I certainly know when Vincent walks down the stairs. He's so strong; he makes the floorboards creak louder than average.

"Hey…we should talk." I heard him say as he walked towards me.

"What about?"

"Look, J.T., I know Catherine and I have gotten rather… occupied …if you know what I mean…and I never even thought to consider how you feel about our…you know?"

"You're asking me about what I think about you and Catherine sleeping together?" I reiterated.

"Yeah."

"Well…at first it was a little awkward considering that we weren't really used to a female living here—especially when I walked in on you two all of those times. Which by the way, I am very sorry. I actually try not to make a habit of it but sometimes it is hard to remember that Cat is living with us now. Don't get me wrong, dude, I totally dig you two being together. She's made you your old self again. I'm grateful for that. But seriously, you really need to put a "DO NOT DISTURB!" sign in front of the gate-door so we can avoid further damage to my mental capacity."

"Maybe I'll just put a block of wood in front of the door…that way; you know it is being occupied."

"Do something…whatever you can…I'm tired of seeing you and Catherine tonguing each other while your hands are gripping her butt and her hands are running through your hair. Not to mention when your p—"

"I get it, J.T.! No need to describe the graphics when I'm living it." He blushed. "Speaking of which, you seemed rather cheerful when you walked through the door…This wouldn't happen to be about that Sarah girl you talked about one time, would it?"

"That, my friend, is why I don't discuss my personal life." I said. "You always like to poke fun at it."

"Dude—I'm not talking about your personal life. Remember? Your so-called personal life is the one where you're kind of hiding my existence. I'm talking about your life-life—the one everyone else sees you live."

"Well—you know what I mean!"

"And the fact that you're trying to avoid the conversation pretty much gives me my answer."

"What?! No it doesn't! Sarah and I are just two people going for coffee tomorrow! Nothing else!"

He suddenly chuckled. "I never told you what I thought the answer was but now that you've said that, I can proudly say you fell for the bait."

I was speechless. How is it that every time I want to keep something quiet, he seems to trick it out of me?!

"Y-you were playing dirty, Keller!"

"Who said I was playing at all? I just asked you a basic question. You're the one making everything a big deal, Forbes." He emphasized my last name.

"Alright…you won this time Keller…but next time it won't be that easy." I said as I scrunched my nose at him.

"Touché, my friend. Touché. So…do you like this Sarah?"

"What!? Noooooo! What gave you that idea?!" Okay, if I didn't sound obvious before, I was totally giving it away right now."

"Then why is it that every time I say the name, Sarah, you're heart's beat increases?"

"T-Th-That's because her name is also the title of a song I used to listen to when I worked out. I guess my heart is conditioned to increase whenever I hear that name!" I lied…Damn…That was definitely a stupid answer.

"Of course." He smirked and I knew he knew I was lying.

"Yeah…and the coffee thing was just a spur of the moment thing…If I actually thought about it, I most likely wouldn't have asked her!"

"Whatever you say, J.T. But just remember that if it was a spur of the moment, it means you actually WANTED to ask her."

"Thank you, Dr. Phil. Now, is our session done?" I said with sarcasm.

Before Vincent could answer, Catherine came running down the stairs, shouting, "Vincent! You've gotta come up here! Now! We're one step closer to cracking my mother's research!"

As Vincent disappeared from the kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder what Catherine meant by her mother's research. Maybe it is just some hobby they both picked up in a way to spend more time together. Who knows.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Alright! Another Chapter up! :D**

**This will be the last chapter posted until Sunday night! This story is far from over but having no internet access kind of takes away from the updating routine. :I**

**NEVER FEAR! **

**Sunday will have multiple updates! :D **

**What do you think Catherine's found out? **


	22. Chapter 22

**GOOD NEWS!**

**My aunt was able to bring over this wifi hotspot thing so now I can have internet access! :D**

**I don't know how long we will have it sooooo if I don't upload anymore until Sunday…that's why… **

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

"_Whatever you say, J.T. But just remember that if it was a spur of the moment, it means you actually WANTED to ask her." _

"_Thank you, Dr. Phil. Now, is our session done?" I said with sarcasm. _

_Before Vincent could answer, Catherine came running down the stairs, shouting, "Vincent! You've gotta come up here! Now! We're one step closer to cracking my mother's research!"_

_As Vincent disappeared from the kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder what Catherine meant by her mother's research. Maybe it is just some hobby they both picked up in a way to spend more time together. Who knows. _

**VINCENT**

The moment Catherine came down to fetch me, I left J.T. in the kitchen. We can finish that conversation later. Catherine's mother's notes were more important.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Well, you see, I went ahead and sprinkled the iron shavings against the animal skin and sure enough, my theory worked." She smiled as she led me to her findings.

"What does it say?"

"Well...take a look…there's a long list of…well…numbers…I'm not exac—"

"It's an Ottendorf book cipher."

"A what?!"

"An Ottendorf book cipher…see the three numbers separated by dashes?" I asked as I pointed to the first set of three numbers.

"Yes…"

"You see…the Ottendorf book cipher tells us that the page number, line number and word of a given clue. My guess is that since all of the bindings have ciphers, they coincide with the book the bindings came off of."

"Right…" she replied.

For the next hour, we took the time to decode the cipher. We knew the work was tedious but also worth it.

"What does your cipher say?" I asked when I noticed she was finished with hers.

"It says:

**Muirfield screwed up their experiment. They have been trying to create the perfect serum for the next war. But, after a series of trials, I have concluded that no such serum can be made. All serums will have their side effects—some worse than others. Nearly fifty men were tested last year for Afghanistan and all were destroyed. But, the eradication of these monstrous soldiers won't stop Muirfield. They will continue to create serums. **

**I don't know how long it will take before they discover my true motives. For every serum they have made so far, I have created an antidote. Unfortunately, these antidotes are not 100% effective. Just as there is no perfect super soldier serum; there is also no perfect antidote. **

**The latest antidote I have created is for the serum injected into the young men in 2001 after the towers were destroyed. I create these antidotes just in case Muirfield decides to repeat using serums. My following research documents will explain where to find the antidotes. **

What do you have?"

I read aloud the cipher.

**All of my antidotes are in one place…They are not labeled because I do not want Muirfield destroying them. They are in the only place I could trust to put them in. Catherine should know the answer.**

"Is that it?" she asked.

"Yeah…It is…" I replied.

"But I don't remember her ever telling me where they were!"

"You'll remember in due time, Catherine. I have faith. We should put a hold on this research. We don't want to overload our heads. Now, I hate to say this but I think we should burn these books. We don't want Muirfield trying to find them."

"Good idea." She stated.

I took everything and threw all of it into a paper bag. When I get the chance, I'll burn them.

"I'll be right back, Vincent. Gotta use the bathroom." Catherine said as she left to the bathroom.

I picked up the paper bag and walked down the stairs.

"J.T., tell Catherine I'll be back. Okay? I'm going to go and burn these."

"Why not use the fireplace?"

"In case Muirfield finds us, I don't want to take any chances."

"Alright dude. Whatever." J.T. replied before I left the warehouse.

**CATHERINE**

I couldn't help but curse in the back of my mind. All four tests were positive. All four of them. As quickly as possible, I took the tests and disposed of them. At this point, I didn't really care if Vincent found them…he was going to find out anyways.

I walked out of the bathroom but didn't see Vincent anywhere so I went to find J.T.

"J.T., have you seen Vincent?" I asked.

"Yeah…he went to run an errand." He replied.

"Okay. You know what? I think I might go take a walk."

"Is that a great idea? I mean, you're pregnant so what if Muirfield is waiting for you?"

"J.T., I never gave you confirmation that I was pregnant…" I said as I gave him a confused look.

"You have that "I'm Pregnant" glow to your face." He stated.

"Ah…On second thought, I'll be upstairs puking my guts out." I replied as I ran back up the stairs to empty my stomach contents. I guess morning sickness isn't always…well…in the morning.

**J.T. **

As Catherine ran back up the stairs to reunite with her last meal, I couldn't help but wonder what was so important that Vincent had to leave to burn it. What were those two up to?

About fifteen minutes later, I heard Vincent walking back inside the warehouse. "Hey, you better go upstairs. Your girlfriend is regurgitating her most recent meal. Oh and I believe a congratulations is in order. You're going to be a father."

"Wait, did she tell you?!" he said as his eyes widened.

"No. She had that weird pregnancy glow around her."

"Alright…well I guess we'll see you in the morning, J.T. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Keller." I said as he walked up the stairs. Honestly, if he keeps going out at night, he's going to bring Muirfield right to us.

**Keiko Fujiwara: I know this one is short but I thought a little update would be great! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the long update! The wifi thing was only good for that day because we kinda used its maximum limit…heh…heh…**

**Well as a treat, I will make this chapter extra-long for you!**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_About fifteen minutes later, I heard Vincent walking back inside the warehouse. "Hey, you better go upstairs. Your girlfriend is regurgitating her most recent meal. Oh and I believe a congratulations is in order. You're going to be a father." _

"_Wait, did she tell you?!" he said as his eyes widened. _

"_No. She had that weird pregnancy glow around her." _

"_Alright…well I guess we'll see you in the morning, J.T. Goodnight." _

"_Goodnight, Keller." I said as he walked up the stairs. Honestly, if he keeps going out at night, he's going to bring Muirfield right to us._

**VINCENT**

Two months have passed with no luck. I told Catherine not to worry about what her mother wrote in her journals. It was more important for Catherine to focus on her pregnancy. Since neither of us knows what this pregnancy will bring, I may have been too overprotective with her. So far, the growth of the baby has been regular—nothing too out of the ordinary. But still, I'm a little skeptic about what this pregnancy could do to Catherine's health.

"So….what do you want the sex to be?" J.T. asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

"Hm?"

"I asked: What do you want the sex of the baby to be."

"Oh…um…honestly, I would rather have a daughter than a son." It felt weird for me to say those words. I wasn't used to the fact that Catherine and I are going to be parents.

"Why?"

"Because, if our child is a girl, she might not have as much of an adrenaline problem than if the child is a boy."

"Dude, have you not seen a chick fight before?! Chicks are loaded with adrenaline!"

"That may be so, but—"

"I hate to say this, Vincent, but in your case, there's a possibility that the child—no matter the sex—will inherit your super-abilities. Who knows, maybe he or she won't hulk out like you do but we just don't know." J.T. replied. "By the way, aren't you going to use your ultrasound equipment this afternoon to find out the baby's gender?"

"J.T., as a Biochemist, you should know as well I that three months is too early for the gender to be distinguished. I will be checking up on the baby later but we won't be able to tell the gender of the child until at least another one to two months. It is different for everyone."

"When're you going to do that?"

"As soon as Catherine is done maternity shopping."

"Yeah….how did that happen again!? I thought she was supposed to stay away from society, not greet it."

"Tess remembered you were a friend of mine so one day, while you were teaching class, Tess came by. We didn't expect it at all. While I was working out, Catherine was downstairs making lunch. Catherine stepped outside to get some fresh air when Tess spotted her. At that time, it was too late to run back inside to hide. She had seen Catherine."

"And why didn't you tell Catherine that she couldn't walk outside whenever she pleased?"

"J.T., I already took Catherine from her life…It wouldn't be right to deny her freedom within the property."

"Vincent, like you said, "WITHIN THE PROPERTY"! What if Muirfield was out there looking for Cat?"

"J.T., relax, nothing bad happened. When Tess saw Catherine, Tess made her spill."

"Catherine TOLD Tess about us?!"

"Catherine didn't tell Tess any more than what I told her a few months ago."

"And how long ago was this?"

"Last weekend."

"You can't just let Catherine take shopping trips while she's staying here! It is too risky!"

"J.T., if you've forgotten, Catherine is pregnant. She needs maternity clothes and you and I both know you aren't the type of guy to buy her the clothes she needs. Tess noticed she was pregnant and asked her if she had any maternity clothes. Catherine mentioned she didn't so Tess offered to take her shopping. You and I both know Muirfield isn't stupid. They wouldn't grab her while she's with a cop of all people."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean they won't follow her back here!"

"That's why Catherine is wearing a disguise."

"And that's supposed to make me feel loads better?" J.T. asked.

"What am I supposed to do? Treat her like a prisoner?"

"That wouldn't be a bad idea." J.T. stated.

"What wouldn't be a bad idea?" Catherine suddenly asked as she entered through the front door.

"Oh...uh….Vincent was just wondering if it would be a good idea for me to buy some groceries before the week is out." J.T. stuttered. "So I just told him it wouldn't be a bad idea."

J.T. is such a bad liar…

"Oh…Okay…" Catherine replied, knowing something was up.

"Dude, I'm going to go to the university. I have a staff meeting to attend to before teaching class." J.T. stated before leaving the warehouse.

Catherine came up to me and wrapped her arms around my torso. "Hey." She smiled.

"Hey." I smirked. "So….how was your little outing?"

"It was fun…Tess really wants to throw me a baby shower but I told her not to—considering the circumstances. She finally agreed not to but I'm not entirely convinced."

"I'm sorry you can't have a normal li—" Before I could finish the last word, she placed her finger on my lips.

"Vincent Keller, I told you I don't want to settle for a normal life. I knew there would be sacrifices when we first met but I don't care. I'd rather live this life with you than anything. Now, I've made my decision, Vincent. I'm not going to tell you again." She said before reaching up to plant a kiss on my lips.

"Are you ready for your first ultrasound?" I asked, hoping she'd say she was.

She nodded and we walked up the stairs.

**CATHERINE**

Vincent placed the cold jelly stuff on my abdomen as he prepped me for the ultrasound. At first, I thought it would be weird for Vincent to be my doctor but, after a while, I thought it was sweet. We will be able to keep this pregnancy within the family—aside from J.T. and Tess.

He pressed the ultrasound probe against my belly and slowly rubbed it around as we watched the screen.

"It looks like the head is here…" Vincent said as the probe touched my lower-middle abdomen.

"That's where I thought it was. It's good to know this little child won't have to be breeched."

"Not necessarily, Catherine. Babies change positions all of the time. Who knows, maybe next month, his or her head may be closer to your chest."

"Let's hope this pregnancy is a healthy one." I replied.

"So far; so good." He smiled as he removed the probe from my stomach. "We'll be able to find out the gender approximately one month to two months from now—depending on the health of the baby."

"Tess wants me to go to the precinct tomorrow..." I suddenly said, knowing I couldn't avoid the upcoming conversation any longer.

"Why?"

"Well…considering I kind of left Evan in the hanging…She thinks I should go and see him tomorrow to tell him to stop waiting for me."

"I think you should go tomorrow."

"Vincent—I don't want to cause any drama. I think it would be better if I don't see him at all. He should know by now that I'm not interested in him since I haven't contacted him in over three months."

"Catherine, I don't want you to lose the friends you have because of me. Just wear baggy clothes tomorrow and set him straight. You two can still be friends without having a relationship." He said.

"You're right…I guess it is best I set him straight. I'm just worried he will ask too many questions like where I've been or who I've been with."

"If he asks, just tell him what you told Tess…Just don't tell him where you're staying…The last thing I need is an over-jealous coworker of yours barging in and demanding answers."

"No. We do not need any of that. Thanks for understanding, Vincent." I smiled as he cleaned my stomach off.

"Just one thing—what If he notices I'm pregnant? He is a coroner after all. There is a possibility he'd be able to tell."

"If he notices your pregnancy, don't let him assume the worst. Okay?"

I nodded as I rolled down my shirt. "Okay."

"You wanna go for a walk tonight?" Vincent asked. "I think we could both use more fresh air."

"I couldn't agree more." I whispered. "But first, we should get a slight workout in."

He smirked as he noticed my little innuendo before picking me up to carry me to the bed.

**VINCENT**

After a few hours of "working out," we decided to clean up and take our walk. It was a nice, cool night out and we both looked forward to spending the evening together outside of the warehouse.

"Where do you want to walk to?" I asked.

"Let's just walk and see where our feet take us." She replied with a smile.

I agreed and offered my hand as we exited the warehouse.

We took a seat on a bench in Central Park and she leaned her head against my arm.

"Catherine, will Tess be with you tomorrow? On your way to the precinct?"

"Yes…she's going to pick me up from the café a block from the warehouse. I'll be fine walking there alone."

"Okay…If you want me to walk with you, I will."

"I know you will but I'll be fine. I promise. If you want, I'll call you when I see her. Okay?"

I nodded before pressing my lips against her hair. "Since the coroner has unrequited feelings towards you, don't hesitate to use the force necessary if he tries anything."

"Vincent, Evan is—"

"You do remember he kissed you on your birthday, Catherine. I'm just a little skeptic, that's all."

"Okay…I understand your feelings but I doubt Evan would try anything that would break his pride."

"Let's hope." I said before we decided to head back home.

**CATHERINE**

As promised, I called Vincent the moment I saw Tess driving up to the café. He told me to stay safe and I told him I will.

"So what are you going to tell him if he notices you're pregnant?" Tess asked as I slid into her SUV.

"I'll think of something. I'm more worried about all of the questions he'll ask."

"Relax, Cat. Just tell him what you told me. I know for a fact that you didn't tell me everything but do you hear me asking tons of questions? If he does continue to ask questions, I'll find a way to shut him up. Don't worry Cat, I've got your back."

"Thanks Tess."

"No problem." She replied as we pulled up to the precinct. "Now, don't worry. I've already prepped the boss and the precinct that you were visiting. I told them NOT to ask questions so you shouldn't be bombarded with curious officers."

"Thanks…Where will you be?"

"I'll be at my desk so if there's anything you need, just holler. Alright?"

"Alright." I replied as we entered the precinct.

Tess walked to her desk and I made my way to Evan's lab—dreading of what might happen. Sure, I told Vincent that Evan wouldn't try anything but whom am I kidding? He's a player!

"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a long time. Is your sabbatical over?"

I turned around and found Evan right on my tail. "No, Evan. It isn't. I just came for a visit."

"Couldn't stay away from me?" he smirked.

"Evan, we need to talk."

"How about I take you out for a nice, elegant dinner and we can talk then?" he asked, trying to avoid the much needed conversation.

"No, Evan. I'm sorry but whatever you thought we had is not going to work. I'm seeing someone else."

"Is that why you've been avoiding me for nearly four months?"

"Yes and no…"

"Oh so you've been avoiding me for other reasons? Was it that kiss? Did you realize you couldn't handle yourself around me so you found a distraction?" he asked in a semi-joking manner. Just one thing—I did not find that funny.

"Evan, he isn't a distraction. He's the real deal."

"Oh is that so?"

"Yes, now that we've had this conversation, I'm going to leave now." I said, hoping to avoid any further questions.

Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and said, "I don't believe you, Cat. I know we have chemistry or else you would've pushed me away the night of your birthday party."

"We were drunk, Evan. If I was thinking clearly, I would have pushed you away immediately!" I defended myself.

"Are you sure?" he whispered as he inched closer and closer.

"Evan—please! I told you I am seeing someone!"

"Who?"

"I c-can't tell you. He's in a sort of witness protection thing." I stated, hoping Evan would buy that.

"Secret boyfriend—eh?"

"Yes! Now, would you please let me go?!"

"Not quite." He replied. "I want to test something first."

At that moment, Evan forced his lips upon mine. I tried pushing him away but he still had one of my arms trapped within his deathly grip. So I did the only thing I could do—I slapped him. HARD.

I was speechless. Here, I thought I could trust him not to try anything but Vincent was right. Whom was I kidding? A player will always be a player.

"You know, I've always found the feisty type very kinky." He smirked. "I don't think I've ever been rejected before. I kind of like this side to you."

"Evan—I'm not going to repeat this again. I am not nor ever will be interested in you! I'm in love with another man and we've started a life together. Now, please! Release me!"

"If you're madly in love with some other guy, why are you here?"

"Tess thought I should set things straight with you, Evan. I don't want us to be enemies but if you're going to act like this, then there's no use for us to be friends anymore."

"Tess, eh? So she knows about your secret excursions with another man?"

"Don't drag her into this, Evan. She has nothing to do with you and me. Now, I'm not going to ask you again. Release me!"

"Just one more thing…The Catherine I know absolutely hates wearing hoodies. Why the sudden change of wardrobe?"

"That's none of your concern." I replied. I was so tempted to kick him in order to release my arm but instead, he loosened his grip.

"I'm sorry Cat. I don't know where my manners have gone to. I shouldn't have acted so out of character. Will you forgive me?"

"That depends; will you stop waiting for me and find some other woman to have a three-month relationship with?" I asked, rather coldly.

Before he answered, he wrapped his arms around me in a firm hug. I stood completely still—not wanting to return the embrace. He suddenly released me and said, "Cat—you're pregnant, aren't you?!"

The instant he asked that, I knew his hug wasn't heartfelt. It was a test and I failed it. "What if I am?"

"Cat—the fact that I know about your horrible relationships in the past, I know that you wouldn't willingly let anyone past a certain barrier. Did this man that you think you're in love with rape you?!"

"What?! No! Absolutely not!" I instantly stated. "He would never be so callous like other people I know."

"Cat, are you sure?! You, yourself, told Tess that you were done with street rats like Zeke."

"Evan, I'm 100% sure he didn't rape me. And besides, he is no street rat. He is above any man I've ever met and I love him for everything he's worth."

"Is he that man I saw you sneak off with at the art gallery several months ago?!"

"That's none of your concern."

"Cat, you've chosen wrong men in the past. What makes him any different? He could easily be after your body rather than your heart."

"How dare you even compare him to the other men in my life!" I stated with bitterness.

"Cat, I'm only looking out for your wellbeing. You should be with someone you know won't hurt you!"

"I am, Evan! I know for a fact that I'm with someone who would never hurt me!"

"How? How do you know he isn't sleeping with another woman right now?"

Once again, I slapped Evan. "You have no right to say that, Evan. He's fifty times the man you'll ever be! He's blessed me with a child and so much more! Don't you dare ever tell me I've chosen the wrong man because, the way I see it, you would have been on top of the list if we had ever dated. I came here to tell you that you should stop waiting for me because I am with someone else. I did not come here to argue about who I should or shouldn't be with. If you can't accept the fact that I might be happy with another guy, then I'm going to walk out that door and never enter again."

As I tried to leave, he blocked the door and said, "Look, maybe we started this conversation on the wrong foot. Cat, whether you like it or not, I care about you. I don't like the fact that you're staying with someone who must remain a secret to the world. Yes, Tess told me you had a secret boyfriend. That's why I asked her to ask you to come by. She thought it was a bad idea at first but I convinced her I wouldn't do anything I would regret."

"Look how well that's turned out." I said distastefully.

"I don't regret that kiss. In fact, I don't regret this either." He said as he trapped me against the wall and crashed his lips against mine for a second time. As hard as I could, I shoved him away from me.

Just as Vincent had suggested, I punched him in the cheek with as much force as I could. "I tried to reason with you as nice as I could, Evan! I really did! But you've crossed the line on many different levels. Get it through your thick head! I am not interested in you or your stupid player tactics! Until you can reprioritize your life and prove it, we're done here. Tess was right from the beginning. Coming here was a mistake." I said before darting out of the lab.

I felt so ashamed. I should have stuck to my gut and stayed home. I didn't wait for Tess to take me home. I ran as far as I could toward the warehouse before I was out of breath. Suddenly, a black SUV pulled up beside me.

The door opened and he stepped out, "Why hello, Catherine. Long time, no see."

"Beowulf…" I whispered under my breath.

"Good! You remembered! I hope that isn't all you remember from your past!"

"You stay away from me!" I spat.

"Nonsense, Catherine. I just want to talk. You see, I've been given a different assignment. Because my higher-ups thought it was hopeless to try to search for something that may not be there, they redirected my mission. Just know that in due time, we will meet again. And when that time comes, you won't be able to escape."

"Why are you telling me this!?"

"Because…I will find it pure joy for you to watch your every move and pray that I won't be around the corner. I want you to fear your upcoming demise because next time, you will not survive. So I suggest you make whatever is left of your time with your precious Vincent a good one because you will never know when we decide to snatch you. Oh, and one more thing."

"What is that?"

"Tell Vincent that he should prepare two graves—one for you and one for your unborn child."

I froze with fear. Muirfield knows I'm pregnant. The SUV drove away but I still couldn't move. All I could do was fall to my knees and cry. Cry about everything that has happened to make my life turn upside-down.

Before I knew it, the unbearable pain caused me to lose consciousness.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Well? What did you think? **

**Nice and juicy for ya? **

**I hope you guys all had a wonderful thanksgiving! :D **


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay so I am sooooooooooo wanting it to be Thursday already! I've already waited a little over a week! I don't know if I can handle waiting anymore! I just rewatched the preview to next episode as well as a clip given off of the CW website! **

**I can safely say I am officially obsessed with this show for I have successfully seen every episode (played thus far) at least fifteen times! .**

**IMPORTANT NOTE! **

**Because I have a major paper due in two days, the next update or two may be sluggish. :/**

**HW must come first unfortunately. **

**.**

***Disclaimer: **

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Tell Vincent that he should prepare two graves—one for you and one for your unborn child." _

_I froze with fear. Muirfield knows I'm pregnant. The SUV drove away but I still couldn't move. All I could do was fall to my knees and cry. Cry about everything that has happened to make my life turn upside-down. _

_Before I knew it, the unbearable pain caused me to lose consciousness. _

**CATHERINE**

I felt as if my head was pounding as I opened my eyes. I looked around and determined that I was back at the warehouse—I wonder who found me.

"You shouldn't get up too quickly…" Vincent said as he walked over and placed a warm wet towel on my forehead.

"What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me, Catherine."

"H-how did I get here?"

"Tess saw that you had run out of the precinct. When she caught up to you, you had fainted. She brought you here but she thought something happened to the baby. While you were unconscious, I checked the child and everything seems alright—meaning you fainted from something else."

Slowly, everything started to flood back into my mind. Evan. The kiss. The shouting. The second kiss. The punch. Running. Muirfield.

"I…Evan had upset me…I ran out, not wanting anymore to do with him…and then a black SUV pulled up."

"What?! Muirfield?"

"Yeah…Beowulf in fact…but they didn't touch me…he just wanted to talk…for me to deliver you a message."

"What did he say?" Vincent asked; eyes immediately glowing.

"I…I don't remember…" I lied. How could I say it to him? After he's finally started living a somewhat normal life? There's no way I could tear that apart.

"You're lying." He said.

I said nothing.

"Catherine, what did they say?" he asked with more sincerity than anger.

"I can't…"

"Did they make you a deal?"

"No."

"Then why won't you tell me?!"

I still didn't answer his question. Instead, I whispered his name in desperation. I wanted him to hold me and never let go—to protect our future child from Muirfield.

He understood my plea and wrapped his strong arms around my frail body. He knew I was vulnerable.

"Promise me you'll never leave me." I whispered low enough for him to hear.

He kissed the top of my head to assure me he would always be with me. He released me from his embrace, walked over to the other side of the bed and laid down behind me. I felt him snake his arms around my waist as the one draped over my abdomen started gently rubbing the baby bump.

Unfortunately, even sweet moments like this had to end.

"How is she?" J.T. suddenly asked as he barged into the room.

"She'll be fine after a few more hours of rest." Vincent said.

J.T. could see the tears forming in my eyes and didn't press the matter further.

**VINCENT**

J.T. left shortly after he came in. I thought about leaving with him to let her sleep but as I tried to scoot off the bed, she held onto my arms tighter.

Whatever happened this morning must have been traumatic enough for her to not tell me what's going on. She would always tell me. Why is this time different?

I had watched her sleep for nearly two more hours before her slow breathing began returning back to its normal pace.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"A little…" her voice faded as if she was trying to say something else. I waited a few moments for her to say something but she didn't.

"Look Catherine, I'm sorry for trying to pressure you earlier. Something horrible must have happened and I was inconsiderate of your feelings—not realizing how soon it was to interrogate you. For that, I'm sorry."

She twisted her body in the bed and faced me. "You have every right to interrogate me, Vincent. I know you were just trying to look out for me and were worried for me. You have nothing to apologize for. A relationship is about honesty and before I drifted back to sleep, I realized that my life is your life now. I have been independent for most of my life that it hadn't even occurred to me that what happens to me now is also your business. I am so used to dealing with problems on my own that I didn't even include you into the equation. If anything, I should be the one sorry, Vincent. Not you. I had no right to keep any information from you—no matter how soon it is."

How is it that whenever I blame myself for something, she outright tells me it is her fault rather than mine? Like last time, my adrenaline had gotten a little too intense that I stopped everything I was doing with her until I was able to calm down. I had apologized because of my condition yet she said it was her fault for catalyzing the situation. Sometimes I wonder if she forgets who I am—what I can do.

Before I could say something to her, she placed her finger on my lips and continued, "If you want to know what happened, I will tell you. You have the right to know."

I said nothing. I only urged her to continue as I lightly kissed her finger.

"As you know, I went to see Evan—to tell him that whatever we had was over. I told him but he didn't seem to take no for an answer. He assumed that my current relationship would end just like my past relationships. I'm not going to lie, twice he kissed me Vincent. But I will let you know that neither kiss was returned. After the first one, I slapped him because he had gripped wrist too tight to push him away. I told him that I only came to tell him to find some other girl because I wasn't available anymore. Yet, he still wasn't convinced that I would be able to keep a relationship with anyone other than him.

"As I tried to leave, he trapped me against the wall and forced his lips on mine—again. By then, I was furious and shoved him off before punching straight in the face. With that, I ran for it. I didn't even wait for Tess. When I ran out of breath, I slowed down and a black SUV pulled up beside me. It was Beowulf—like I had mentioned before. The message he told me to tell you was heinous…"

"What was it, Catherine?" I asked but when she shook her head slowly as tears started to fall from her eyes, I realized that whatever Beowulf said wasn't important. "Nevermind. You don't have to tell me. All that's important now is that you're safe. I won't let Muirfield get to you. Hear me? I swear on my life that I will protect you and our child." I said with assertion.

She nodded and leaned her body into mine, seeking for as much comfort as possible.

"I love you." She whispers.

I pressed my lips against her before replying, "I love you to, Catherine Chandler."

**Keiko Fujiwara:**

**Sorry that this is a little short but I just thought this chapter should end here. **

**PLEASE tell me what you think! **

**Also, Boy or Girl? Or Both?! O.o **


	25. Chapter 25

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_I love you." She whispers. _

_I pressed my lips against her before replying, "I love you to, Catherine Chandler." _

**VINCENT**

A month has passed since the small incident with Muirfield. Catherine eventually told me what Beowulf said and I assured her nothing will happen. Tess has been coming by more and more to fetch Catherine some pregnancy necessities and what not. Tess still has no idea what my name is or what I look like because whenever she drops by, I hide. She knows I'm in the warehouse but doesn't question my motives. She only cares for Catherine's wellbeing.

Catherine has been more wary about being outside. She refuses to go on outings unless I'm with her. This Muirfield business has literally put a stop on her life. I'm going to take Tess and Catherine to the Safe Haven tonight because, tomorrow, I am going to end it with Muirfield. I don't care if it is me against an entire army. This constant thorn at our side ends tomorrow once and for all.

"Are you ready for your ultrasound?" I asked.

"Yeah…" she said passively.

I nodded and carried her up the stairs. I've noticed something rather weird about her pregnancy…she's gained more weight than the average three-month mother. I've also heard an extra heartbeat but I wasn't sure if it was a murmur or not. I've had a feeling of what might be causing this abnormality but I didn't want to say anything until I've confirmed it with the ultrasound probe.

Just like her first ultrasound, I uncovered her belly and squeezed some of the gel over her exposed skin before placing the probe on her abdomen. I looked at the monitor as I moved the probe against her stomach and my suspicions were confirmed.

Catherine noticed my concerned face and said, "What is it?"

"I didn't want to say something until I saw it on the monitor….but…."

"Vincent, what's wrong?!"

"Catherine, we're having twins."

"T-twins? H-how is that even possible?! I may not be a doctor but I know for a fact that twins do not develop that late into the pregnancy."

"Calm down, Catherine. Remember, you and I knew anything could happen with this pregnancy. There's no medical explanation to why you've developed twins this late but I have a feeling it has everything to do with my DNA."

"If anything, I would have thought your altered DNA would speed up the process of the child's growth; not split the embryo this late into the term."

"Catherine, it is possible that the embryo split sometime last month…"

"That is STILL very late into the pregnancy, Vincent. What if something's wrong?!"

"Nothing is wrong, Catherine. Everything, aside from the twin fact, is normal. Just to remind you, even having NORMAL twins is a phenomena—something that cannot be explained. Because my DNA is altered and because I don't know what they injected into my bloodstream to change my DNA, we have to be prepared for anything that happens during this pregnancy. I had a feeling sometime down the road you weren't going to have a normal-normal pregnancy—not with my DNA in the picture. Even J.T. is surprised to how normal your pregnancy has been thus far. For now, I don't think there's anything to be alarmed of."

I could tell Catherine had calmed down. Suddenly, a large smirk formed on her lips. "You know, I think I brought this on myself. Remember? I told you I didn't want to settle for a normal life. I guess I should be careful what I wish for."

I'm glad she's seeing a brighter side to this.

"Do you want to see the genders?" I asked.

"No…I want to be surprised. What would my life be without surprises? I just hope these two little people don't form into three little people."

"The odds are highly unlikely but then again, so was forming twins this late into the pregnancy." I replied.

I turned off the machine and cleaned Catherine's stomach off before slipping her shirt back down.

"What do you want to do for the rest of today?" I asked.

"I've been thinking, Vincent, about my mother's journals. It said I would know where she hid the vials…I think I know where."

"Really?"

"Yes…You see, before Heather was born, my mother used to take me to her family's cabin. For unknown reasons, she stopped taking me there once Heather was born. I thought that it was because of Heather's birth that we didn't go but, now? I'm not convinced. I think…and this is just a theory…that my mother got involved with Muirfield shortly after Heather's birth…maybe about a year after. She probably didn't want to take me to the one place she would hide all of her experiments in case her true intentions were compromised. That night…the night of her murder, I think she was at the cabin when I called her. She wasn't at home or at work. Not to mention that she arrived about an hour after I called her. And, if I knew my mother, she never really went out anywhere after late hours unless it was an emergency. That's why I think she was at the cabin. I bet you she was making sure her antidotes were still there."

"Catherine, Muirfield would have burned that cabin to the ground if they thought she would hide her research there."

"Not necessarily. My mother was 100% Mandarin Chinese. Her family had migrated to America when she was twelve and she had a different name—Yao Niang Zhang. The Mandarin spelling for Zhang is Z-H-A-N-G. Because my grandparents were…rather controlling, my mother moved out when she turned eighteen and changed her name to Vanessa Zoeng—spelled Z-O-E- N-G."

"Z-O-E-N-G? But isn't that Cantonese?"

"Exactly…she could speak both Mandarin and Cantonese fluently as well as American English, so she blended well. The cabin? It is under my grandparents' name. Unfortunately, my grandparents were killed in a car accident shortly before my birth. They had learned of my mother's new name and gave everything to her in their will because they still loved her even though she left them. I used to think my mother visited the cabin because she felt sorry for not being there when it really mattered, but maybe that was only half of it. I've never even told Heather about the cabin…because I felt like it was a special place between only my mother and I. Is that selfish?"

"No." I shook my head. "Sometimes, we want to keep certain places we've been with our loved ones to ourselves. It's perfectly natural to want to keep the one thing you and your mom shared between you and your mother. It makes it more special, Catherine. Eventually, when you're ready to let go of your mother, you'll tell her but for now, until Muirfield is finished, I suggest keeping it to yourself a little while longer. Heather will be safer that way."

"You're right." she whispered. "Vincent, we have to go to the cabin before Muirfield finds out!"

"Catherine, I can't risk you leaving the warehouse right now, especially if Beowulf is watching your every move. This information is useful and since Muirfield hasn't mentioned anything about finding antidotes, I doubt they will figure out that the cabin belonged to your mother's family. Even if she did hide it at the cabin, she wouldn't have hid it in plain sight because she knew Muirfield. She knew they would have burned the building down to destroy any antidotes she created. Your mother was smarter than that. Maybe the cabin is the next clue but not the location." I replied. "The cabin can wait. Your safety and pregnancy cannot."

"O-okay."

"Now, we need to pack your things."

"Why?"

"I'm taking you to the Safe Haven with Tess. She said work has been sluggish since your absence so Joe gave her a sabbatical. She can keep you safe while I'm away."

"Where are you going?"

"Well…to be honest…I was going to face Muirfield head on and destroy everything I could…but since you are convinced the cabin is where your mother hid her research, I'll check there."

"Do you know where it is?"

"No…but I'm sure it won't be hard finding a cabin in New York addressed to the Zhang family. Besides, didn't you say it is still within the family?"

"Yes but my mother left the cabin with in the Zhang family to cut ties from her new name."

"Okay…well, can you give me a general location?"

"Black Bear Campground…about an hour from New York City…in Florida, New York I believe." She replied. "I think it is one of the RV cabins…but it's been so long, I'm not sure."

"Ironically enough, my uncle owned a cabin there one time. I can easily ask the campground office where the cabin is." I said. "Don't worry, I'll wear a disguise."

"Okay. You better promise me you'll call if you find anything…And I will also want you to call when you arrive there as well and when you leave."

"No problem. Now let's pack your things. I told Tess to meet us around 3."

"How are we leaving if you don't want Muirfield to see me exit the warehouse?"

"You don't worry about a thing. J.T. and I have everything covered." I replied with a smile.

This slight change of plans will be tricky but I think, with positive attitudes, it'll work.

At least, it BETTER work.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Another short one but hey, I'm not a typing machine. Hahaha**

**What did you think about the little pregnancy twist?! O.o**

**Is it too weird? **

**Please! I want to make sure nothing is too AU or OOC! .**


	26. Chapter 26

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_How are we leaving if you don't want Muirfield to see me exit the warehouse?" _

"_You don't worry about a thing. J.T. and I have everything covered." I replied with a smile. _

_This slight change of plans will be tricky but I think, with positive attitudes, it'll work. _

_At least, it BETTER work. _

**VINCENT**

"So how did ultrasound numero dos go?" J.T. asked as came down the stairs quietly to avoid waking Catherine.

I pulled out a beer from the kitchen fridge and literally chugged it down before answering his question. The worst part about this DNA condition is that, no matter how many alcoholic beverages I consume, I can't get drunk—kinda like Captain America.

"Uh-oh. Did you forget to read the next chapter of your _Fatherhood for Cross-Species 101_ book?"

"You could say that." I replied, understanding J.T.'s reference. J.T. and I both knew we couldn't expect anything with Catherine's pregnancy—so, being the smart ass that he is, J.T. uses that lame title as a way to say: Let me guess, something happened that wasn't supposed to happen and now you're freaking out about it, wishing you could drown in your sorrows even though you know you can't.

"What happened?"

"Catherine is pregnant—"

"And what, you're just now figuring that out? Shouldn't the swelling belly give off a hint?" J.T. stated before I could finish my statement.

"J.T., listen, Catherine is pregnant…really, really pregnant."

"Dude, it's your kid—she's probably delivering a large baby."

"No…that's not what I meant, J.T. Catherine is, how you say, pregnant with twins."

"T-twins? As in twins?! Like two babies born at the same time?! Vincent, did I miss the punch-line because I don't find this joke funny!"

"This isn't a joke, J.T.! I'm telling you what the ultrasound showed!"

"Woah…two kids…not one, but two….Wait, how the hell did that happen!? This is WAY too late in the pregnancy for Catherine to be having twins!"

Finally, he freaks out.

"The ultrasound isn't lying. And to answer your question, I have no idea how she could be having twins. Like I told her, we didn't know what to expect from the pregnancy."

"For all we know, she could start budding triplets! What if the macho-baby is doing like this meiosis thing where every so often it splits into another baby—another clone!? The twins could become quadruplets and then maybe octuplets!"

"J.T., I think you're reading too much Sci-Fi!"

"Am I?! Like YOU said, we don't know what could happen with this pregnancy. For all we know, Catherine could be producing a litter, not twins."

"J.T., I will monitor Catherine's pregnancy just as I have been doing in the past several months. If I see something worth going to the Stress Department, I'll seek your expertise since you're obviously the department's CEO."

"Haha, very funny." J.T. said dryly.

"Otherwise, there's no point in worrying over what we don't yet know. Now, there's been a slight change of plans. As planned, we are going to drop the girls of at the Safe Haven. Instead of me going to Muirfield, we will be going to Florida, New York."

"Why? Did you decide you wanted to go tanning in a fake Sunshine State?"

"No. I'll brief you on the way there, but right now, just start packing."

"Whatever, Dude."

**TESS**

For reasons I'm unsure of, J.T. called and told me to go to the warehouse about seven this evening with a suitcase packed for an indefinite length of a trip. All I know is that Catherine is pregnant and, due to her little fainting spell, she needed someone with her at all times. At least that's what J.T. told me. He said we were going to some safe place for the remainder of Catherine's pregnancy due to unforeseen circumstances.

Whatever is going on, it better be worth it because I had to pull some MAJOR strings to receive a sabbatical from Joe.

What's even got me more intrigued is that J.T. mentioned something about meeting Catherine's secret boyfriend. I guess I'm trustworthy enough to finally meet Mr. Mysterious.

After packing and eating a light dinner, I drove off to the warehouse—expecting everyone to be waiting. Not.

I pulled out my phone and called J.T.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"We're in the back…I'll meet you in the front because it would be safer entering through the warehouse itself."

"Okay…" I said and ended the call.

I saw the door swing open and J.T. step out. "Alright…door is open."

I walked inside and followed J.T. to the back as I saw a U-Haul. "We moving furniture too?"

"No." J.T. said, "That is where you'll be traveling in—along with Catherine and Mr. Mystery."

"Why not just say his name?" I asked.

"Because, Catherine should introduce you two. Not me." J.T. replied as I saw Catherine walk towards me with another man in tow.

"Hey Tess. Thanks for doing this." She smiled.

"You're welcome…though it would be nice getting a more detailed briefing." I replied.

A man placed two suitcases into the U-Haul before walking back to Catherine. He casually wrapped his arms around her neck. He must be Mr. Mys—wait! I've seen him somewhere before. "You're Vincent Keller, aren't you?!"

"Yeah…" was all he said.

"But you're supposed to be dead…"

"As you can see, I'm alive and mostly well." He replied.

Suddenly, Catherine spoke up. "Tess, believe me, there were so many times I wanted to tell you what has been going on in my life but I was sworn to secrecy to protect Vincent."

"Soooo….you two aren't childhood friends like I was originally told."

"No…but we have sort of known each other for a very long time." Catherine replied. "You see, Vincent was the man who saved me nine years ago."

"Woah…man? The last time I checked the newspaper article, you claimed that a beast had saved you. He hardly looks like a beast to me."

"Alright, enough chit-chat." J.T. said. "We didn't bring you here so you could get the entire inside story, Tess. We brought you here so you can watch over Tess at the destination while Vincent and I run a tiny errand."

"Whatever…is the trip a long one?"

"A few hours." Vincent replied.

"Okay, well, since the three of us are going to get comfy cozy with each other in this U-Haul of all things, I'm going use my power persuasive skills to convince you two to tell me the entire story." I said, plopping my bag into the U-Haul.

"Well, now that we have TWO COPS now in the circle, I'm going to grab my thing of TUMS. I have a feeling an ulcer is coming on." J.T. said before vanishing into the main part of the warehouse.

"Is he always such a downer?"

"Yup…all the time." Catherine and Vincent replied together.

"Perfect…at least, while in the U-Haul, I won't have to hear his constant complaining." I replied Catherine took me into the warehouse to show me where the restroom was. This is going to be one hell of a trip.

**CATHERINE**

When it was time to leave, Tess, Vincent and I went into the U-Haul while J.T. hopped into the driver's seat.

J.T. bestowed Vincent a walkie-talkie before we left so that, in case anything happens, we could stay in contact without using cellular devices.

"Is everyone good to go?" J.T. asked on the walkie-talkie?

"Yeah…Just be gentle with driving…we don't have seatbelts back here." Vincent said.

"I'll keep that in mind." J.T. replied.

Tess sat against the door of the trailer to make sure it wouldn't pop open for any reason as Vincent held onto me like glue. He didn't want to chance J.T.'s driving skills with me pregnant in the back of a U-Haul without proper protection. I didn't mind his overprotectiveness but still, it was a little embarrassing in front of Tess.

"Alright, Romeo and Juliet. SPILL!" Tess asserted.

I sighed and began the story with my mom….

Might as well start somewhere, right?

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Just a short chapter to update. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D **


	27. Chapter 27

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Alright, Romeo and Juliet. SPILL!" Tess asserted._

_I sighed and began the story with my mom…._

_Might as well start somewhere, right?_

**VINCENT**

"So….You are telling me that Mr. I'm-Not-Really-Dead is basically a victim of a Captain America experiment gone wrong?"

"That pretty much sums it up." Catherine said, "Oh and you must not tell a soul about this."

"Don't worry, I won't. Who would believe me anyway?" Tess asked with a sarcastic tone. "Secret is safe with me. At least now I know I'm not crazy thinking Catherine was telepathic or something."

"You thought I was telepathic?" Catherine asked with a goofy grin.

"Well…how else was I supposed to explain your sudden great insights on our cases?" Tess asked, shrugging her arms.

"Well, now you know you're not crazy." Catherine replied.

Tess looked at me and smirked, "So you're the guy Cat was always glowing about."

"Tess!"

"Sorry…I just had to say it! You know how I like those juicy details! Oh, by the way, remember the case with Ashley Webster? I recall seeing you glowing. Now, I know that was shortly after you two officially met but tell me, what did you do to her to make her so….candescent?"

I smirked. I didn't I had that kind of effect on her so early on.

"You do not have to answer that question, Vincent." Catherine stated. "Story-time is over. I think it is time we all take a nap."

Knowing she was tired, I said, "You take a nap…You needn't strain yourself on our accounts."

She took that as permission and easily drifted into a deep sleep. Tess took this nice opportunity to bombard me with even more questions—ones she knew Catherine wouldn't like.

"So, you say you have an adrenaline problem…what happens when you and Cat are having sex? Do you accidentally hulk up in the heat of passion?"

Catherine was right—Tess has no filter.

"Uh…It's almost happened a few times…but Catherine was able to calm me down before anything too drastic happens." I replied, blushing.

"What are your plans with Catherine besides fathering her child?"

"Eventually, I plan on sharing a life with her as well as the twins."

"Ah….and when you say shar—WAIT! TWINS?!"

"Yeah…"  
"Since when?"

"We found out earlier today."

"H-how?"

"Honestly, I have no idea and neither does Catherine or J.T."

"So you're basically saying that this pregnancy could be dangerous for Catherine." Tess stated, giving me a concerned look.

"It is possible but I have been monitoring her pregnancy every so often to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary." I said.

"So where are you and four-eyes going while I babysit Cat et al.?"

"We're going to Catherine's mother's old family cabin. We think Vanessa might have hidden something highly important there."

"And Cat isn't going because…?"

"I think the answer is obvious." I replied.

"Anyways, back to my original second question…when you said "sharing a life with Catherine," what exactly did you mean? Marriage?"

"If that is what she wants, then yes. But I can't expect for her to wait for me…I am dead to the world…so marriage would have to wait."

"Trust me…you're the first good thing that has happened to Cat since I've known her. I'm thinkin' she'll hang on to you for a long time." Tess said. "Besides, she seems very happy and content in your arms."

"Thanks…I think." I replied. For the rest of the trip, Tess didn't ask any more questions. She eventually fell asleep while I stayed awake in case J.T. called on the walkie-talkie.

**~TWO HOURS LATER~**

We finally arrived at the safe haven shortly after Catherine woke up from her nap. J.T. pulled the trailer around back and then we exited, ready to stretch our muscles.

"This is your safe haven?!" Tess asked in amazement. "Well, if I were out to get a man in hiding, this joint would be the last place I'd think to find him! Damn!"

Catherine and I chuckled at her response before Catherine said, "Don't worry; I had a similar reaction when I came here several months ago."

"Alright. Enough gawking; start walking." J.T. said, shooing us to go inside.

Catherine placed her hand on my arm and asked, "When will you and J.T. be leaving?"

"After we get settled, J.T. is going to fill the car with gas and we'll leave tomorrow. Luckily, Florida, New York isn't terribly far from here."

"Okay." She replied.

I helped Catherine into the safe haven and guided her to a chair before going back to the trailer to unpack.

J.T. came up to me and said, "Do you think coming here was such a good idea? I mean, what if Muirfield ambushes Catherine while we're gone?"

"Relax, J.T., I made sure we weren't followed. Besides, both Catherine and Tess have guns. If they need to use them, they will."

"Alright, Dude. It's your call." He said before taking the majority of his things into the safe haven.

I carried Catherine and Tess's things inside and said to Tess, "Follow me if you wanna know where your room will be."

Tess and I walked up the stairs and showed her to the nearest bedroom next to the one Catherine will be sleeping in.

"Not bad for a pad." She said as she looked around. "I could get used to staying here."

"Catherine will be sleeping in the room to the right."

"Which is the same room you'll be sleeping in I presume?"

"Yeah, so while J.T. and I are gone, if anything happens, she'll be a room away."

"Okay…Is there like some kind of special base or whatever in case you think you're going to be found out?"

"Like a hideout?"

"Yeah…"

"I'll have to show you later. Right now, I need to give Catherine another ultrasound to make sure everything is okay before I leave tomorrow."

"You brought your equipment?!"

"Of course not. There's a spare ultrasound equipment here…I keep a lot of doctor equipment in the basement of this house in case I plan on staying here for way more than a few days."

"Man with a plan…I dig that. Alright, you do what you have to do while I get acquainted with this new, temporary room of mine." Tess said as she literally pushed me out the door.

I walked back down to the stairs and said, "I'll be right back, Catherine. I'm going to get my spare ultrasound equipment from the basement. Okay?"

"Yeah…sounds good." She smiled.

Before going down the stairs to the basement, I quickly kissed her lips. She seems less energetic today…maybe it was the trip…that can get exhausting, right? I wouldn't know of course.

For the next thirty minutes, I was reanalyzing her stomach as I moved the probe around her abdomen.

"Everything seems normal."

"Still having twins?"

"Yeah…don't worry; the babies have not split into four." I smirked. "If, for any reason, you feel differently than you normally do, call me. Okay?"

She nodded. "Aye, aye! Mon Capitan!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her obedience. I wiped off the goo and pulled her shirt down before picking her up.

"Where are we going?"

"It's late, Catherine. I think it is time for bed."

"Did J.T. ever return?"

"Yeah…he just pulled back into the back." I replied as I carried her up the stairs.

"Okay…that's good…"

Before I knew it, Catherine was fast asleep in my arms and I knew she felt safe.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**:D Just to let you know, I do have a plan with this fanfiction, so it isn't just random stuff…**

**Depending on how much I write per chapter, there could be ten more chappies or twenty more…it just depends!**

**Well, I don't know if I'll be able to upload tomorrow so if I don't, please ENJOY the next episode tomorrow! I have been waiting for TWO weeks and it is finally around the corner! :D **

**Have a good night and review! **


	28. Chapter 28

**First of all, here is my response to last Thursday's episode: **

**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHY?!**

**Q~Q**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_It's late, Catherine. I think it is time for bed." _

"_Did J.T. ever return?" _

"_Yeah…he just pulled back into the back." I replied as I carried her up the stairs. _

"_Okay…that's good…" _

_Before I knew it, Catherine was fast asleep in my arms and I knew she felt safe._

**CATHERINE**

I woke up to the smell of breakfast filling my nose. It must be late morning since there's light outside. Noticing Vincent was gone, I put on my slippers and bathrobe before making my way down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Tess said before sipping some coffee.

"Have they left yet?"

"No. Four-eyes and Hulk-man are getting the car ready. They unhooked the trailer since your man is the only one of the two who knows how to get to your family cabin."

"Okay…I'll be right back." I replied. As I opened the door to the outside, Vincent was standing there as if waiting for me to open it.

"Good morning." He smirked.

"Good morning to you too. If I knew you two were leaving this early, I would have gotten up sooner." I said.

"Don't sweat it. You're pregnant and you need your sleep. Now, have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

"Eat." He demanded in a friendly way.

So, without another word, I did—and he watched me eat every bite.

"The way you're staring at her makes it seem like you want to eat her." Tess said, giving us a look of disgust.

"That's just Vincent for you." J.T. suddenly said as he came in. "Him staring at Catherine basically means he's hungry for her…but in a different manner than food."

"Ugh…TMI." Tess stated.

"J.T., do you not have a filter?" Vincent asked, not tearing his eyes from me.

"I just tell it how I see it, Dude." J.T. replied before going back outside.

After I finished eating, Vincent took my plate and cleaned it off. "You don't have to do that, Vincent."

"I want to." He replied.

And that was the end of that semi-argument.

As soon as he was done cleaning my dish, he said, "Okay, now, I want to show both of you something."

Tess and I followed him into the basement.

"If, for some reason, Muirfield finds the safe haven, hide down here." He said as he pulled out a wall vent.

"I don't think Cat could fit in that." Tess said.

"Don't worry, there's a room inside the vent. It is a secret hideout in case needed." Vincent said.

Without another word, I bent down to see if I could make my way through that opening. Luckily, I could. For now.

"There's everything you need in that room: Oxygen tanks, food, water, cots, and a light. People can't see inside the vent but you'll be able to see outside of it." Vincent added.

"Convenient." Tess said.

"Now, let's go back up." He replied.

Tess started up but I paused.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked.

"Oh nothing…it's just hard because I can't really see my feet anymore." I replied.

Vincent picked me up and said, "Better?"

"Much." I smiled.

We made it upstairs and Vincent said, "J.T. and I have to go now, Catherine."

"Okay. Be safe, alright?" I said.

"We will." He replied before kissing me goodbye.

And that was that. They were gone.

**VINCENT**

**~A FEW HOURS LATER~**

"How much further to the cabin?" J.T. asked, anxious to get off the road.

"We'll be there soon. We have another fifteen or so minutes." I said as I turned the vehicle right.

"Okay…so where is this magical cure?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be asking for your help, would I?"

"True." He replied.

For the next quarter of an hour, we talked mostly about Catherine's pregnancy until I pulled into the campgrounds. "I need you to go to the office desk and ask where the cabin under the name Yao Niang Zhang is."

"Yowa saya whata?"

I pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down the name. "Here. Just give that piece of paper to the office person and ask them which cabin belongs to this woman. Okay?"

"Whatever Dude." J.T. said before leaving the car.

I waited for about five minutes until he came back. "Well?"

"Here, let me drive…It'll be easier than trying to guide you there." He said.

We switched spots and J.T. drove us there. "Voila…here's Yao Nianga whatever's cabin."

"Thanks, J.T. Did you get a key?"

"Yeah…she told me that no one has been to that cabin in years. I told her I was a friend of the family and they gave me permission to use the cabin for a peaceful getaway. Which is partly true and she bought it."

"Sometimes, your ability to lie amazes me." I laughed.

"I've learned from the best."

I placed the key into the lock and turned it—opening the place that may hold the very cure I've been searching for.

**~Five hours later~**

"Dude, we've searched every nook and cranny. There's nothing here." J.T. said.

"It has to be…" I replied. "Why would Catherine's mother send us on a wild goose chase?"

"I don't know but we've been searching for several hours. I think we've searched enough."

"Not yet…The journal said that it would be a place Catherine would be familiar with…This is the only place Catherine could think of that she and her mother shared."

"Maybe we have the wrong cabin?"

"You had the right key though."

"Right…"

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. "What if it isn't inside the cabin?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if she buried it somewhere along the grounds? Like I told Catherine, Vanessa was smart. She wouldn't have put her life's work somewhere where Muirfield could easily destroy it."

I suddenly pulled out my phone and dialed Catherine's number.

"Hello?"

"Catherine…it's me."

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"Not yet but I have a theory. Do you remember, at all, whether or not you and your mother buried anything while visiting this cabin?"

"Not that I can think of…but…we did plant a tree…. Near the bench…I remember that I asked my mother why we were planting a tree and she told me that trees hold many of the earth's secrets…I didn't know what that meant but what if she was referring to her research?" she asked.

"It's possible…but I don't know if we can dig up the entire tree."

"Tree? What tree?" J.T. said in the background.

"Knowing my mother, she would have made a second opening or what not just in case she needed to take out her research and add to it…maybe there's a cellar near the tree?"

I walked outside, ignoring J.T.'s reiteration about the tree and walked towards the only tree near the bench.

"I don't see anything too out of the ordinary…" I said.

"I'm sorry I'm not too much help."

"It's okay…This mig—wait…I smell chemicals…"

"You do?"

"Yeah…" I replied as I started to sniff the perimeter of the tree. "It's here…I can definitely smell it now."

I saw a large owl hole in the tree and shoved my arm down there…nothing…wait…a button? Of course. Her mother was a scientist.

I pressed the button and saw a section of the grass rising and revealing stone steps going downward…okay now that was cool…weird but cool…

"Vincent? You there?"

"Yeah…I think I just found your mother's secret lab."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you about it when I get home. Okay?"

"Okay…stay safe, Vincent." She said.

"I will. Love you, Catherine."

"I love you too." She replied before I ended the call.

"Dude…what just happened?" J.T. asked as he finally decided to join me. "That door thing wasn't there before."

"That's because I found the button." I replied. "Shall we?"

"You first, Dude. That secret whatever it is has been closed off for nearly a decade. Who knows what type of bugs or spiders have invaded it! You're the beast, Vincent. You're going first."

"I figured you'd say something like that." I smirked as I started walking down the stone stairway.

**CATHERINE**

"What did lover-boy have to say?" Tess asked.

"He told me he thinks he found my mother's secret lab." I replied.

"Oh. That's cool. Hey, I'm going to take a shower. Will you be alright by yourself for a while?"

"Yes. Tess. Go take your shower. The Lord knows your hair needs it." I said with a smirk.

"Thanks bud." She answered before going up the stairs.

Stairs…

While carrying these twins, I believe stairs will be the death of me…not Muirfield…but stairs.

I walked to the pool room and took of my shoes. If anything, I deserve a nice, cool soak for my tired feet. I carefully plopped down and dipped my feet into the water. I couldn't help but blush as I remember the last time I was in this pool.

I rubbed my belly and said to my future twins, "Hey there. Let me tell you both something about your father. He may seem a little on edge at times but, despite his temper, he's a loving man. I can tell he already loves you two because he won't let a single week go by without making sure you two are healthy. Just do me a favor and make this pregnancy an easy one on your mother. Okay? That's all I'm asking."

Suddenly, I felt two kicks from two separate sides of my belly. They must have heard me!

Deciding it was time to go back into the kitchen so Tess won't think I was kidnapped, I heaved myself up and put my shoes on.

"Hello Catherine…Remember me?"

I turned around and my fears resurfaced. Beowulf…

**I'm sorry for the suuuuuupppppper long update! . **

**I had a paper to write so that's why it took longer than usual! **

**Well, what do you think?!**

**I personally felt like this chapter was a little dry but hey, they can't all be perfect. **

**:P **

**Also, tell me what you thought of Thursday's episode!**

**:D **

**Keiko Fujiwara **


	29. Chapter 29

**Today is my birthday! YAY!**

**Just to let you know, I would literally die of happiness if Jay Ryan said Happy Birthday to me!**

**XD**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Deciding it was time to go back into the kitchen so Tess won't think I was kidnapped, I heaved myself up and put my shoes on. _

"_Hello Catherine…Remember me?" _

_I turned around and my fears resurfaced. Beowulf… _

**Catherine**

"How did you find us?!"

"That's none of your concern, Catherine. All you need to worry about is that your life is about to end."

"Stay away from me!" I said firmly.

"I don't think so." He replied as he started walking towards me.

I looked around to see if I could use anything as a weapon but came up empty…the only thing I could hope to do is either take his gun from him or drown him.

"What do you want?"

"As I have told you, my assignment has been altered. I'm no longer looking for your mother's research. Instead, Muirfield wants you dead—you and your little monsters."

Without another word, he launched at me, gun in one hand, and knife in the other.

I stepped out of the way, causing him to fall into the pool and made a jog for it. Because my belly was rather heavy, running was not an option. I quickly waddled to the kitchen, grabbing the first thing I saw—a boning knife.

I heard him making his way towards me so I held the knife out towards his direction.

I noticed he didn't have his gun…he must have lost it in the pool. Once again, he came towards me with his blade. I barely dodged it and hurried back to the pool room. If anything, I would be able to have better space to attack. I could feel warm blood seeping from my side…he must have scratched my waist.

"You'll never win, Catherine!" he said. The echo effects of the room did not do any justice to his already creepy, old man voice.

"You stay away from me or I'll—"

"You'll what? Face it, Catherine, it's hopeless. You cannot win."

"If I have a slight chance, I'll take it!"

At this point, I didn't care if he would manage to strike me. I only wanted to receive a chance of ridding him once and for all. I took a large step towards Beowulf as he launched towards me. As hard as I could, I jabbed the boning knife straight into his stomach only to feel the pierce of his blade in my shoulder in return.

I pulled out the boning knife before he fell backwards. Again, I plunged it into his chest. And then his shoulder. I wanted him to feel pain—feel any pain I could give him for putting me through that hell.

"Catherine! Stop!" I heard Tess shout but I paid no heed. As I was about to pierce him again, Tess grabbed my wrist and knocked the knife out of my hand. "Enough, Catherine. This douche is dead."

Realizing what I have done, I instantly retreated from the body.

"What have I done!?"

"Relax Cat. I know I just got down here but from what you told me, I assume he's one of the bad guys. You were just defending your family."

"I k-killed a p-person i-in cold b-blood!" I shouted in horror. I couldn't believe what I had just done! At the time, I was only focused on my family and would have done anything to keep protecting them but I never meant to kill him like this….not like this.

"Cat, it's alright. He deserved it."

"No! No one deserves to die! I could have i-injured him and then q-questioned him about Muirfield! I didn't have to kill him!"

I fell to my knees and stared at the blood stained on my hands.

"Cat, you were just defending yourself. Don't let it get to you."

"I plunged that blade into his stomach, Tess! And know what's worse? I enjoyed it! I enjoyed piercing that blade into his body! I wanted him to feel the pain he put me through! And once I struck him, I wanted to strike him again! And again!"

"Cat, you need to calm down! Look, I'll clean this up while you go upstairs and clean yourself up. Okay?"

I didn't know what to say. I just stayed there and stared at all of the blood. I was no better than the men who murdered my mother. I murdered Beowulf in cold-blood!

Suddenly, the pain from my shoulder and from my side surfaced as I pulled out the blade. The pain of the blade sliding out of my shoulder was too much to bear. It felt as if someone was re-slicing my skin. The next thing I know, I blacked out.

**VINCENT**

"J.T., I think I found her solutions." I said as I opened a drawer. "They aren't labeled but if these aren't them, then I don't know what is."

J.T. came over to me and took a look. "We'll take them back to the warehouse and once Catherine's given birth, we'll start examining them. We need to stay as low as we can right now and trying to find out if these are cures won't help us stay low. We've looked elsewhere for almost an hour. I doubt there are any more hiding places for her solutions."

"If the contents of these vials aren't what we're looking for, we can come back and relook." I said as I gently placed the vials in my briefcase.

"Good. Now, let's get back."

"Okay." I replied.

We walked out of the secret lab, I closed up the door and we locked up the cabin. In no time, we were back on the road, heading for the safe haven.

Suddenly, I had the urge to call Catherine so I dialed her number.

"Hello?"

"Tess? I thought I called Catherine's phone."

"You did but she's in no condition to talk right now." She replied.

"What do you mean? Is she alright?"

"Yes. Well sort of."

"Again, I ask: What do you mean?"

"Well, while I was taking a shower, Catherine received a visit from some Muirfield dude. I don't know the whole backstory because she won't speak a word. But I walked in on Catherine plunging a kitchen boning knife into this guy's body at least a dozen times. She was raged with anger and fear."

"What?! Is she okay?"

"No. She's pretty shaken up. She said she didn't even realize what she was doing until I knocked the knife out of her hand. When she came to her senses, she was freaking out—horrified that she had done such a thing. That's not the worst part, Vincent."

"What do you mean?"

"Catherine told me she enjoyed every minute of it."

Vincent knew that feeling all too well. In the past, there were times when his beast mode would enjoy ripping his victim to shreds.

"W-what else happened?" I asked.

She eventually took my advice and cleaned herself up after I told her I would clean the pool room up. She keeps comparing herself to the murderers of her mother. She now thinks she's just as worse as them. But that's not all. You see, I had told her that she killed that man in order to protect her family. But despite what I told her, that's not what I saw. Her eyes were glowing yellow as she butchered him. It was almost like she was in a trance."

"Listen, Tess, make sure she stays sane. We're on our way back and should be home by eight. Tell her I'll be back soon." I said before ending the call.

"What was that about?" J.T. asked.

"Beowulf is dead."

"What? How?"

"Catherine…she killed him by jabbing a knife into his body several times. She's torn up because of it. Tess seems to believe Catherine wasn't herself when she killed him. Tess said her eyes were yellow—like mine when I beast-out."

"You don't think it's one of the twins who is controlling her, do you?"

"I don't know but whatever happened, it has mentally destroyed Catherine. That's why we need to get back as soon as possible."

"Roger that." J.T. replied as he sped up.

Just hang on, Catherine. I'll be there soon.

**Keiko Fujiwara: I bet you didn't expect that, did you?! **


	30. Chapter 30

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Beowulf is dead." _

"_What? How?"_

"_Catherine…she killed him by jabbing a knife into his body several times. She's torn up because of it. Tess seems to believe Catherine wasn't herself when she killed him. Tess said her eyes were yellow—like mine when I beast-out."_

"_You don't think it's one of the twins who is controlling her, do you?" _

"_I don't know but whatever happened, it has mentally destroyed Catherine. That's why we need to get back as soon as possible."_

"_Roger that." J.T. replied as he sped up. _

_Just hang on, Catherine. I'll be there soon._

**VINCENT**

Within the next two hours, we were back at the safe haven. Luckily, traffic wasn't much of an issue for us. The moment we parked, I jumped out of the vehicle and ran inside the house.

"Where is she?" I asked Tess.

"She's upstairs in her room. But first, I think you should see the damage." Tess replied, directing me to the pool room.

I walked passed her and turned on the light in the room. There he was—Beowulf—lying in a pool of blood. I went over to him, and noticed at least four knife wounds. Not only did I smell his blood, I also smelt Catherine's.

I left the room and said, "We've gotta get rid of the body."

"We can't do that!" Tess exclaimed. "I'm a cop! We've got to report it!"

"NO!" I roared. "The moment we report his body, the second the rest of Muirfield will find us."

"If he found this place, what makes you think the rest of Muirfield won't?"

"Beowulf was different—he could read minds. He probably found this place on his own before calling for backup. He was…obsessed with his assignment and, knowing a guy like him, he would do as much as he could alone before requesting a unit. We need to rid the body and clean up the evidence. J.T.!"

"Yes!?"

"You know what to do. Time to activate Phase F."

"Phase F?" Tess asked, confused.

"There's no time to explain. Either you are in or out." I said, looking at Tess.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm in but if this phase or whatever backfires, I didn't know anything."

"And we'll respect that." I stated as she followed J.T. to the garage.

As they were activating Phase F, I ran up the stairs to see Catherine.

"Catherine?" I whispered as I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand.

She didn't answer. She just stared at the wall in self-pity.

"Catherine, answer me." I said more assertively.

Still, she didn't say a word.

As I was about to leave, I felt her hand grasp my arm, begging me to stay.

At least that was some improvement.

"Catherine, I won't know what's wrong until you talk to me. What happened?" I said, pretending I didn't know about Beowulf.

Suddenly, she whispered almost inaudibly, "I k-killed him…"

"Who?"

"Beowulf…"

"Catherine, I know what you're going through. Killing people takes a toll on your soul. Trust me, I know. Don't let this get to you or it'll destroy you." I said gravely as I brushed her hair away from her face.

"I didn't mean to kill him…"

"I know you didn't. Do you want to talk about it?"

She slowly sat up and stared downward, avoiding my gaze. "H-he threatened the lives of our babies."

"Catherine, you were just protecting our family."

"I know but there's more to it!" she said more loudly as her heartbeat increased.

"Listen, Catherine, Tess told me what happened. She told me what you told her."

"Then you should know I'm dangerous…" she said darkly. "Like I told her, I'll tell you: I enjoyed stabbing that knife into his body."

"Catherine…I don't think that was you killing him."

"What do you mean?"

"Tess told me that when she saw you piercing that knife into Beowulf's already dead body, she saw your eyes glowing yellow—like when mine do when I transform."

"I h-had yellow eyes?"

"Yes…I think…one or both of our twins controlled your mind."

"What? Why?!"

"I don't know…maybe they were thinking the same thing you were and wanted to protect their mother."

"B-but…that doesn't make killing someone the right thing to do." She replied.

"I know but they must have known you were defenseless and wanted to help. Look, Catherine. As much as I would love to tell you why this happened, I can't. I'm just as new at this as you are. What I do know is that, whatever Muirfield injected into my bloodstream, I received the ability to have primal instincts. That's why I seem to protect you even when I've hulked up. I protect what's important to me and maybe, just maybe," I placed my hand on her belly, "they were reacting based on their primal instinct. In any case, I would like to perform an ultrasound. Okay?"

She nodded and seemed content with my response.

I bent down and gave her a kiss before whispering, "I'll be right back."

She released my arm, giving me permission to fetch the ultrasound equipment.

**CATHERINE**

I was glad Vincent spoke to me…It made me feel slightly better that there's a possibility I wasn't an insane murderess. Though, the thought disturbed me that my unborn twins sought out to murder Beowulf. I understand that if this is the case, they wanted to protect me but still, the thought is unnerving.

I slipped out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and splashed my face. As I opened my eyes, the faucet wasn't pouring out clear water. It was filling up with dark, red blood and the entire bathroom was covered in blood splatters—not to mention my hands.

"No!" I shook my head. "This can't be happening!"

I walked over to the other faucet in hopes to clean off my hands, but the water instantly transformed into blood as my hands touched it.

I grabbed a towel and started cleaning the walls of the blood but, the more I cleaned, the more appeared.

"N-n-n-n-no! STOP IT!" I screamed.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Catherine Chandler." His figure popped up and stood in front of me.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

"No can do. You see, the moment you plunged your boning knife into my body, you cursed yourself for all eternity. Anyone who kills a mind-reader will suffer the ill-fate of losing their mind in due time. No matter where you are or what you are doing, I will be present; forever tormenting you for the murderess you are."

"STOP!" I shouted as I clenched my mind.

"Or what?" he laughed as he walked closer, "You'll murder me in your mind as well? As if…There's only one way to rid me forever. Kill yourself."

"I would nev—"

"Fine, we'll see how strong you really are." Beowulf said as a fist aimed towards me.  
I leaned backwards to dodge it but didn't realize how heavy my abdomen was until it was too late. I lost my balance, hitting the back of my head very hard against the tiled floor as I felt my brain shake. The last thing I saw before blacking out was a figure running towards me, calling my name.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Well? What now?!**

**What do you think? **


	31. Chapter 31

**For those of you who were curious: Yes, a recent episode from the Vampire Diaries inspired last chapter. **

**:)**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_STOP!" I shouted as I clenched my mind. _

"_Or what?" he laughed as he walked closer, "You'll murder me in your mind as well? As if…There's only one way to rid me forever. Kill yourself." _

"_I would nev—"_

"_Fine, we'll see how strong you really are." Beowulf said as a fist aimed towards me.  
I leaned backwards to dodge it but didn't realize how heavy my abdomen was until it was too late. I lost my balance, hitting the back of my head very hard against the tiled floor as I felt my brain shake. The last thing I saw before blacking out was a figure running towards me, calling my name. _

**VINCENT**

It took me a while to find the ultrasound equipment. I must have not been paying attention where I had placed it last. After five minutes of searching, I found it. Suddenly, I heard her scream things like "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

I raced up to the room and heard her screaming in the bathroom. I tried to open it but it was locked.

I stepped back and kicked the handle off of the door—making my way into the bathroom. The second the door was thrown open, the second I saw her head hit the floor.

"Catherine!" I shouted as I ran to her.

She blacked out. I looked around but saw nothing in the bathroom that would have made her freak out. As gently as possible, I picked her up and placed her back into the bed. Unfortunately, Tess and J.T. were still activating Phase F so I was on my own. First and foremost, I wanted to check and make sure the twins did not suffer from her fall. Catherine wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to them.

I set up the ultrasound equipment, lifted up her shirt and squeezed the bluish goo on her tummy before placing the ultrasound probe against her belly. As I analyzed the twins' positions, I sighed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then again, they do have partial DNA of a failed experiment, so who knows what they could endure.

I wiped off her belly and pulled her shirt back down. At the time, there's nothing really else to do since I don't have an MRI machine or a CT machine. I'd have to wait until she came to.

**CATHERINE**

I felt my left hand clasped in Vincent's as I shuffled around in the bed.

"You're up." He stated.

"Yeah…" I replied, still not wanting to open my eyes.

"Do you know your name?" he asked.

"Catherine…Catherine Chandler." I said.

"Birthday?"

"September 4th, 1983."

"Do you know who I am?" he asked, brushing his thumb across my hand.

"You're Vincent Keller…the man I love." I smiled.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked, cautiously.

I had to think for a moment. "I…I was in the bathroom….I went…I went to wash my face and…I don't really remember the rest…It's all a huge blur." I stated. Perhaps it was for the best I didn't remember…whatever happened.

"Catherine, I don't know why, but you fell in the bathroom. You fell and smacked your head against the floor. Based on the reason you can't remember what happened, I can say you suffered from a concussion. Now the question is, how strong of a concussion did you suffer from? I'm going to ask you a few other questions and run some tests. Okay?"

I nodded.

"What is 4+4?"

"8."

"16+21?"

"….37."

"7 x 8?"

"56."

"13352/25?"

"No one in their right mind would be able to solve that, Vincent."

"Just making sure you were paying attention." He said.

"Now, I'm going to show you a few objects and I will hide them. After hiding them, I want you to tell me what you think you saw." He stated.

Sighing heavily, I opened my eyes. "Vincent, how on earth are you going to show me anything? It's pitch black in here!"

There was a small break of silence.

Then he said with concern, "Catherine, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Again, if there was a light on, I would be able to see." I stated, a little annoyed.

"Catherine…it's clear as day out. You were unconscious for the entire night." He stated.

"I'm b-blind?!" I asked, horrified.

"I won't know until I do further tests, Catherine." he said before kissing my temple. He picked me up and started walking.

"I can't be blind! I have a job! An expecting family! Dreams! I can't be blind!" I started freaking out.

"Catherine! Calm down! Don't start making assumptions without a proper prognosis!" he replied as he knocked me back to my senses before shouting. "J.T.!"

"What?" J.T. hollered somewhere in front of us.

"I need you to set up the Holter Monitor for an EEG." Vincent said.

J.T. didn't ask any more questions, from what I heard, he just scrambled down the stairs and into the basement.

Vincent hurried down to the basement and placed me on something—probably the gurney."

I felt Vincent and J.T. sticking things to my head.

"Vincent, what is going on?" I asked. "Why can't I see anything?"

After minutes of silence, Vincent suddenly said, "Catherine…when you hit your head, you damaged your Occipital Lobe…and right now, you're suffering from Cortical Blindness."

"W-what?!"

"Don't worry, Cat!" J.T. suddenly said, "In many cases, Cortical Blindness is temporary…"

"Why the elongated pauses then?" I asked.

"Because, Catherine, temporary could mean a few months or it could mean years. It depends on the damage and since you've seemed to have lost your entire vision, there's no way to tell how long you could be this way."

"C-could it be p-permanent?!"

"There's that possibility as well." Vincent replied.

Suddenly, I heard Tess running down the stairs, "How is it that whenever there's a party, I'm never invited?"

"Tess, right now isn't the time for your jokes." J.T. reprimanded.

"Just trying to lighten the dismal mood. Jeesh." She stated. "But really, why the gloomy faces?"

"Come with me. Let's give them some time alone." J.T. said. I heard footsteps walking away from us.

"Catherine, this is my fault…I should have never left you alone while you were vulnerable."

"Vincent, I—"

Suddenly the memories of what happened flooded back to me…

"Catherine?"

Blind or not blind…the thought of Beowulf existing in my mind caused me paranoia.

"Catherine!? What's wrong?!" he asked.

Just as I was about to answer him, a voice said, _"Charming, isn't it? Although you can no longer see me, you can certainly hear me." _

"Get out of my head!" I said, not realizing how loud I said it.

"Catherine! What's going on?!" Vincent demanded.

"_Go ahead and tell him. It isn't like he'll be able to do anything about it." _

Before Beowulf could get another word in, I said forcefully, "Beowulf…he's…he's…" Suddenly I felt this agonizing pain from my forehead as if someone was scratching a cheese grater against it. I clenched my forehead and cried in agony.

"Catherine! What the hell is happening!?"

I flopped off of the gurney and tried to search for a wall—I was going to do anything to stop the pain! I stumbled over obstacles and heard Vincent running after me.

"_Catherine, you know, the best thing about killing a mind reader is that the mind reader has the power to inflict eternal pain within the victim's mind." _Beowulf said and more searing pain etched against my forehead.

I clenched my head as I found a wall. As I was about to ram my head against the wall to stop the burning sensation, Vincent grabbed me from behind. "CATHERINE! CALM DOWN!" he shouted in his beastly voice as I felt his muscles began to ripple.

Suddenly, the pain stopped and Beowulf was gone. All I could feel now was the light pain of the twins kicking and punching the lining of my belly as their father semi-transformed. And instantly, I knew what had stopped the insanity—it was the twins. Somehow, as Vincent slightly hulked up, they wanted to too. They were responding to his transformation…wanting the same thing he wanted—to protect me.

I turned around and searched for Vincent's face, wanting him to know I was alright again. His muscles started to calm down and return to normal and the twins' limbs stopped having a party. I searched for his lips with mine and kissed him as his fangs transformed back into human teeth. "I'm okay, Vincent."

Suddenly, once he was calm, so were the twins. At that moment, I feared how long it would take before Beowulf decides to make an appearance again. "Vincent, I remember what happened last night…"

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Whoooooooh….that was a doozy of a chapter. **

**By the way, I am no doctor so I had to google all of that medical equipment and information. So, sorry if it isn't completely accurate. **

**By the way, September 4****th****, for those of you who don't know, is actually Catherine's birthday…after rewatching the Saturn Returns episode (because I was looking for someone to say the date of Cat's bday), I noticed on Heather's phone, as she was sending the invitation to the party, that it said September 4th on it. So, how is that for observation skills? :^]**

**Hope you enjoyed this one! :D**


	32. Chapter 32

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_I turned around and searched for Vincent's face, wanting him to know I was alright again. His muscles started to calm down and return to normal and the twins' limbs stopped having a party. I searched for his lips with mine and kissed him as his fangs transformed back into human teeth. "I'm okay, Vincent."_

_Suddenly, once he was calm, so were the twins. At that moment, I feared how long it would take before Beowulf decides to make an appearance again. "Vincent, I remember what happened last night…"_

**VINCENT**

A few days have passed since Catherine's…panic attack. She claims Beowulf was haunting her mind but…after two days of no occurrence, I'm beginning to think the guilt was consuming her. She had told me what had happened and shortly afterwards, I gave her a strong sedative to help her sleep. We both knew she needed it to keep her strength up.

As she was sleeping, I monitored her brain activity in case anything caused alarm. As she first started sleeping, I attached her to an Electroencephalogram to record her brain's activity. For the past 48 hours, her brain activity has been normal.

J.T. and Tess had to go back to New York for the time being because he had to resume teaching classes and her sabbatical was over…

To stall time, I started working on the different vials. I first drew out my blood and squirted it into seven different test tubes. Then, I drew out one antidote and injected it into the first vial. I waited five minutes to see if there was any effect but there wasn't. I continued the process until I tried every last vial, again, nothing worked!

I was sure Vanessa wrote that she created an antidote! Why aren't any of them working?

Suddenly, I heard the Catherine's EEG spiking. I went over to her and as each second passed, the spikes increased. No muscle movement. I opened one of her eyes. Dialated. I checked her pulse—140 beats per minute. Catherine was having an Atonic seizure. After searching for all of the symptoms, I ran to my small medicine cabinet in the corner of our room and grabbed a bottle of Lorazepam. I pulled out a clean syringe, dipped it into the bottle, and pulled the syringe's plunger before injecting the medication into Catherine's bloodstream.

I waited the allotted time until it should have taken effect but she was still seizing. I searched for other medicine but none of the others treated seizures. What could be causing this seizure?!

I went through everything in my mind but nothing could explain it! Suddenly, the thought of Beowulf crossed my mind. What if her illusions were in fact real and he was inside her mind right now?! I mean, since she was sedated, it would make sense for her to seize rather than react violently like yesterday.

I touched her tummy before coming up with an idea. If the twins respond to my transformations, maybe, if I transformed again, they would react again and maybe she would stop seizing.

I stepped away from her and thought about all of the things that made me angry—Muirfield being on top of the list. I thought about the cruelty Catherine endured while being captured. I thought about the fact that she had to excommunicate herself for my sake. Every pain she was experiencing made me angry because I knew I was the cause to her misery. Soon enough, I felt my blood boil and my muscles ripple.

I was the beast.

Except for very few times, I have never lost control of my mind when I transform. Sure, I lose my temper and crush a lot of things but I was always aware of my cognitive ability and could act freely—as long as I wasn't angered. I can never guarantee the results when I'm angry. I walked over to Catherine and, as gently as beastly possible; I placed my hand on her belly.

Like the last time, I could feel the twins having quite the party within her womb. I was right. They were reacting to my transformation—except this time, I had completely transformed. Last time, it was only partial.

I listened to the EEG and, like predicted, her spikes stopped and she resumed sleeping.

I managed to calm myself before going back to my small cabinet and opened up another packaged syringe. I slipped the needle into my arm and drew out enough blood to test my theory. I then squirted the blood into a vial only to redraw it with another clean syringe. I placed the needle's tip against Catherine's arm and slowly emptied its contents. I knew for a fact that this was not enough blood to change her entire DNA. But it was enough blood to possibly stop her Beowulf illusions. My blood would eventually spread throughout her veins and then will travel to the carotid arteries before going to her brain.

After a good thirty minutes of waiting for results, her EEG was improving. I saw her squirm a little before opening her eyes.

"Have a nice sleep?" I asked.

I removed the electrodes from her head as she said, "It was weird…what's with all the medical equipment out?"

I paused at what I was doing. "Can you see again!?"

She smiled. I put down the equipment that was in my hands and wrapped my arms around her neck before lowering myself down for a kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Just because." I replied. "So, what did you mean by weird?"

"Well…I was having a very peaceful dream…We were visiting the site of The Shire in New Zealand. You were taking a picture of me standing in front of the hills and then I heard _**him **_say something like, "Say cheese, Catherine." Everything had disappeared and I was in a room of darkness and there was only one in my dream—Beowulf. We were fighting hand to hand combat. I was trying my hardest but he anticipated/read my every move. At one point, I was able to gain the upper hand until you showed up and destroyed him with one attack."

"Then what happened?" I asked, intrigued by her story.

"You told me to wake up because I had a family to go back to." She smiled.

"Catherine—there's something you need to know." I said.

"What?"

"While you were sedated, you had a seizure. I'm suspecting that, in your dream, when Beowulf appeared, your body was responding by seizing. I tried injecting some medicine into your system but it didn't work…so I had this other wild idea since I was desperate."

"What did you do?"

"I transformed…and the twins began reacting again. At that point, you stopped seizing. That's probably when you gained the upper hand in your little battle. Then, just to be sure you'd stay content, I injected a small dose of my blood into your veins—hoping it would heal the illusions you were having. I guess it worked." I smirked.

"You mean, you're saying that you popped into my dream because your blood entered my body?"

"I guess so." I laughed. "I'm not a psychologist, Catherine. I'm a doctor."

"Fair enough…but it looks like your blood did more than just destroy Beowulf—it seems as if my vision is back; maybe even better!" she exclaimed.

"I guess my blood is good for something after all." I replied.

Catherine stood up and walked over to the space where I had Vanessa's bottles opened and tested.

"They didn't work." I said.

"We'll try again…I'm sure my mother wouldn't have sent us on a wild goose chase, Vincent. We'll figure it out." She smiled.

And everything seemed a great deal better.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Yay! Cat got her sight back! Yay! Beowulf is gone! :D**

**Just to let you know, I know the last chapters have been a little….syfyish….so the rest should be a little more realistic! **

**Updates will probably be slow the next two weeks because I have finals coming up .**

**Oh! And am soooo happy it is Tuesday because that means…IT IS ALMOST THURSDAY! :D**


	33. Chapter 33

**AHHHHHHHHHH!**

**Tonight's episode was epically AWESOME! We finally got to unravel one of the biggest mysteries to the series! OH! AND THE PREVIEW TO NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE IS REALLY MAKING ME WISH IT WAS THURSDAY AGAIN! **

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Catherine stood up and walked over to the space where I had Vanessa's bottles opened and tested. _

"_They didn't work." I said. _

"_We'll try again…I'm sure my mother wouldn't have sent us on a wild goose chase, Vincent. We'll figure it out." She smiled. _

_And everything seemed a great deal better. _

**VINCENT**

The next few months went by very slowly. Think about it this way: a woman is pregnant with two babies spawned from a failed cross-species experiment. If a woman impregnated with regular baby twins is a handful, think about what it would be like for Catherine. Her mood swings were off the chart, not to mention her cravings.

Finally, we've stumbled onto the ninth month and I've ordered Catherine to be on bed-rest. Tess and J.T. have stopped by a few times since they left. Tess would keep Catherine company and have girl-talk while J.T. would keep me sane—and I'm not talking about losing myself to my darker self—I'm talking about potentially losing my mind.

You would think that if I could handle a few transformations here and there, I would be able to handle the misconception of pregnancy adventures.

"How long does Cat have before she pops?" J.T. asked.

"Must you really say it like that?" I asked.

"She's like a balloon! She'll pop before she goes into labor—which, by the way, how are you going to deliver Double Trouble?"

"We haven't really discussed that yet…Catherine really wants to go into natural labor but with the babies compared to the size of her cervix, there's almost no way for her to have a natural pregnancy."

"Dude, nothing about this pregnancy is normal. Have you told her your expert opinion? Oh, and you do know that, during labor, a woman's cervix expands, right?"

"Yes, J.T., I know that. Still, I don't think natural labor is the best thing for the babies."

"Then you need to tell her that because if you need to perform a C-Section, then we'll need to get the proper equipment for one."

"J.T., I'm not a gynecologist. Even if we need to perform a C-Section, I don't have sufficient knowledge to perform one properly. She would have to go to a hospital."

"And risk Muirfield finding about this?!"

"Muirfield already knows about Catherine being pregnant, J.T. They have been for almost three or so months." I replied, knowing he was just about to blow.

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!"

"Catherine was going through a rough time, J.T. It's not like I didn't want to tell you. It's just…I didn't think it was the right time?"

"Oh and about a week or so until her due date is?"

"J.T., calm down. I have an OB/GYN colleague at the nearest hospital around here. He owes me one after covering his ass for something."

"Does he know you're alive?"

"No…but I have an idea." I said before telling my plan to J.T.

**CATHERINE**

I hate this. I absolutely hate this! Here I am, lying in bed while Vincent and J.T. talk and have a good time. Suddenly, the door opened and Tess entered.

"Hey bud!" Tess smiled. "Woah…you look like you're going to burst."

"I feel like I'm going to burst…Now, would you excuse me. I have to pee." I said as I wobbled towards the bathroom.

"Wanna hear about the latest cases?" Tess asked through the bathroom door.

"No thank you." I replied. "Why would I want to hear about something I wish I was doing right now?"

"Because, what you wish you were doing isn't police work, Cat."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"You're having sexual withdrawal symptoms! Since your belly has gotten to be quite the obstacle, I bet you and Vincent haven't made love in at least three months."

I blushed but couldn't tell another lie. "I guess you're semi-right."

"Uh-huh. Sure. Okay I see how it is." Tess replied before tapping me on the head as I walked out of the bathroom. "You still haven't told me the juicy details of your first night having sex."

"I was hoping you would have forgotten that…"

"Nope! If it is about sex, it never leaves this mind." She smirked.

"Great…good to know…" I replied, rolling my eyes.

Suddenly, I felt a small jolt go through my body. "Oh…"

"You alright?" she asked.

"I don't know…I felt something weird."

"Weird how?"

"Tess…get Vincent…I think it's time…" I said gravely.

**Alright people! **

**Sorry for the late update!**

**AHHHH! I WANT THEM TO KISS ALREADY! **

**The next chapter most likely won't be posted until Sunday at the latest. **

**Toodles! **


	34. Chapter 34

**Why must CW torment me sooooo?**

**I went onto the CW BATB website and watched the preview as well as a clip from next week's episode! This clip shows a side of Vincent never really seen before! **

**.**

**I WANT IT TO BE THURSDAY NOW! **

**Q~Q**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_Suddenly, I felt a small jolt go through my body. "Oh…" _

"_You alright?" she asked. _

"_I don't know…I felt something weird." _

"_Weird how?" _

"_Tess…Get Vincent…I think it's time…" I said gravely. _

**VINCENT**

While J.T. was finishing some grading, I dialed the hospital where my colleague works.

"Thanks for calling South View Hospital. What can I do for you today?" a receptionist asked.

"I need to speak to Dr. William Boyd. Does he still work at this hospital?"

"He does. May I ask who's calling?"

"I'm an old friend." I replied.

"Alright, fine. I'll transfer you over."

I waited for three rings until William answered the phone. "Dr. William C. Boyd."

"It's been a long time, Bill McGill." I stated, remembering my personal nickname for him.

"V-vincent? Vincent Keller?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah…"

"I was told you were—"

"I was…I mean…what you heard was what I wanted people to hear. Listen, I know that my calling you might seem a little of a shocker but I have a favor to ask of you."

"Where have you been all these years?" he asked, completely ignoring my previous statement.

"I can't tell you. Listen, Bill, can you do this favor for me? It is rather urgent!"

"What's going on, Vincent?" he asked, focusing on the matter at hand.

"My girlfriend, she's in her ninth month and if my predictions are correct, she won't be able to have a natural birth."

"So you want me to give her a C-section?"

"Yes…"

"When's her due date?"

"She could be delivering any day now. She's just entered her ninth month but she's pregnant with twins and, because they are twins, they may decide to come out early."

Suddenly, Tess came running into the room and said, "Catherine…I think…I think she's going into labor."

I turned back to the phone and said, "How fast can you set up?"

"Why?"

"Because…she's going into labor." I replied as I started running up the stairs.

"If you can get her here in thirty minutes, we'll have a room set up for her." He replied.

"Thanks, man. I owe you one." I replied before ending the call.

"What's going on?" J.T. asked from the bottom of the steps.

"Catherine might be going into labor." I replied. The next thing I know, J.T. is darting up the stairs behind me.

**CATHERINE**

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO DAMN LONG?!" I asked as Tess, J.T. and Vincent came running into the room.

"Cat, I left you about 30 seconds ago." Tess said.

"AND THAT WAS THIRTY SECONDS TOO LONG!" I replied with aggravation.

Vincent came over to me and said, "I need to check your cervix. Will you be comfortable with that?"

"Vincent…you've had sex with me in every position humanly possible. You've even licked my—" Before I could finish my statement, Vincent pressed his finger to my lips.

"I get the picture, Catherine." he replied slightly blushing.

"Why did you hush her up? I wanted to know what she was going to say!" Tess complained towards Vincent.

Vincent ignored her and unbuckled my jeans. Before he pulled my panties off of my body, he turned and looked at J.T. and Tess. "A little privacy?"

Without arguing, the two left, leaving Vincent alone with me.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to say that out loud." I stated, coming to my senses.

"It's alright," he said as he pulled of my underwear. "I had it coming for asking such a stupid question."

"It wasn't stupid, Vincent. You were simply respecting my privacy." I replied with a light smile before I felt another contraction.

"Your cervix isn't wide enough yet but you are having contractions. When was your last one?"

"About five seconds before Tess ran to get you guys."

"Okay. Listen, Catherine. You're going into labor and you'll most likely be giving birth within the hour. I know you said you wanted a natural birth to occur, but based on the size of your belly, I don't know if the twins will be able to come out safely the normal way."

"Then what do we do?"

"I have a colleague. I already gave him a call just before Tess told me about your contraction. He's preparing you a room for a C-Section." He replied.

"A C-section?"

"Yes…Unfortunately, a C-section is the only thing we can do to ensure the twins come out without causing too much harm to you."

"But that means I'll have a large scar on my stomach."

"Yes but over time, it'll fade. Just think of it as a battle scar." He smirked. "Now, will you allow me to take you to the hospital?"

I nodded before he slipped his arms underneath me and pulled me to my feet. He wrapped a bathrobe around me so we wouldn't have to scar J.T.

He then carried me out of the room and said to J.T. "Get Phase F.O.101 ready."

"On it!"

"Phase F.O.101?" Tess gave him a weird look.

Vincent replied, "Phase Freak-Out 101. We ran out of alphabet letters so we had to come up with another phase name."

"I'll never understand the men's taste. Speaking of taste, what exactly did you lick?" Tess asked, smirking widely.

"I believe that is considered confidential information, Tess." Vincent replied.

"I'm not letting you go on this one, Keller. Tell me!" she asserted.

I started to get annoyed by their stalling. "Guys! As much as I love the fact that you two are semi-bonding, now is NOT the time to do so!" I interrupted.

J.T. ran back up and said, "Phase F.O.101 is at the ready!"

"Okay." Vincent replied before running me to the car.

This is going to be a long day.

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Note: I don't know if there is an actual Southview hospital. I made that name up myself. By the way, I had a break in my studying so I decided to post this chapter. **

**So…what are you hoping will happen in next week's episode? Is there anything your looking forward to? **


	35. Chapter 35

**So I saw the producer's promo or whatever for the "Bridesmaid Up" episode and NOW I WANT TO SEE THE EPISODE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BADLY! X3  
I wonder if there's a BATB Anonymous group because I'm SERIOUSLY ADDICTED! **

**.**

**I WANT IT TO BE THURSDAY NOW! **

**Q~Q**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

_J.T. ran back up and said, "Phase F.O.101 is at the ready!" _

"_Okay." Vincent replied before running me to the car. _

_This is going to be a long day. _

**VINCENT**

"Vincent, you need to calm down, dude. You're wearing a hole in the floor." J.T. said as he continued to watch me pace.

"I should be in there with her!" I replied.

"Look, Romeo, Cat is having a major surgery done. It's not like they're going to let the father of the babies, even if he was a former doctor, be in there during the procedure. Besides, you're getting too amped up, you need to chill, bro. Your glowing eye trick is freaking me out." Tess said as she gave me a weird look.

"What if something went wrong?! What if—"

"Vincent! You need to calm down! Your adrenaline is pumping and I really don't want to tranquilize you during the birth of your children! Seriously! If something happened, I'm sure the doc will let us know!" J.T. said, aggravated from my aggravation.

Suddenly, I heard the door to the operation room open. I turned around quickly and said, "How is she?"

"No need to panic, Vincent. Catherine is in recovery room 288 and your daughters are being taken care of in the nursery. Their Apgar tests were more than perfect and they've already received their hearing screening—again more than perfect. They will need to receive their Hepatitis B vaccine before leaving."

"And Catherine? H-how is she?"

"She suffered from hemorrhaging during the procedure. We will need to perform a blood transfusion but, as of now, it isn't needed immediately. She'll be waking up soon if you want to go to her. The nurses are more than likely bringing your girls to her right now."

"How much blood did she lose?" I asked.

"Approximately 25%...Like I said, no need to panic. After you two finish talking, we'll be prepping her for the transfusion. But before you go to her, I need to know what blood type you have."

"I have Type O." I replied.

Suddenly, J.T. said, "Doc, could I speak to Vincent for a moment?"

"Sure…I have to check on a different patient anyways so I'll be back in five minutes." William said.

As he left, J.T. nearly shouted, "Are you crazy?!"

"What?"

"You can't give Catherine your blood? Need I remind you about your cross-genetic syndrome?!"

"J.T., calm down. Nothing will happen." I said calmly, "I've given Catherine a small amount of my blood before and nothing happened—except for a fast recovery."

"And you didn't tell me this because…?"

"Because it wasn't a big deal, J.T. If it weren't for my blood, Catherine would most likely be suffering as a mental case right now. I had this wild idea to give her some of my blood and it worked. My blood should have the same effect…Who knows; maybe it'll heal her stomach faster than the normal rate."

"Vincent, last time, as you say, you gave Cat a small amount of your blood. A blood transfusion is a bit different, buddy. You'd be giving her at least a liter if not more, Vincent. That's significantly greater than a simple syringe-fill."

"J.T., I have a universal blood type. Last time I remember, you have Type B…which would be rejected by Catherine's blood, who has type O. And Tess?"

"Don't look at me! I don't believe in needles!" Tess said, waving her hands.

"So, if you have any other bright ideas, I'm all ears. Because if not, then it looks like I'll be the one giving her blood."

"Don't they have blood banks for this kind of thing?" Tess asked.

Suddenly William came back.

"Hey Doc, why would you need to know what type Vincent has? I mean, don't you have blood banks?"

"That is a fair question. Catherine has Type O. Although she also has a universal donor type of blood, she can't receive from any blood type because receiving anything other than Type O would kill her. Earlier today, someone needed a massive blood transfusion and used up the two bags of Type O we had left. We should be getting more within the next few days but the sooner we give her blood, the better."

"Use mine." I stated.

"Vincent!" J.T. said in a warning tone.  
"Is everything alright?" William asked.

"Everything is fine." I replied. I turned to look at J.T., "Trust me, it's worth the risk. But if it makes you happier, I'll discuss it with Catherine first."

Without another word, I took off towards the recovery wing. I could hear William say, "Did I miss something?"

I swear Tess and J.T. were shaking their heads, nonverbally telling him that he didn't want to know.

Suddenly, the realization dawned on me. Catherine gave birth to baby girls.

I stopped in my tracks before entering her room and inhaled a large breath. I am now the father of two girls and am frightened. I don't think I've ever feared anything more frightening than the very thought of trying to entertain two hyper demi-cross-species little girls before.

Bravely, I slowly opened the door and saw Catherine smiling weakly while holding two small girls in her arms.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hey yourself." I replied as I took a seat in the chair next to her hospital bed.

"Have you named them?" I asked.

"No…I thought we could name them together…"

"Okay…well do you have anything in mind?" I asked.

"Well…I was thinking about naming the one on the left Vanessa Rose and the other on the right Olivia Marie…" she replied with a smile.

"M-my mother's name?"

"Yeah…One day, I called J.T. and asked him what your mother's name was…I wanted to surprise you."

I have to say, despite my moment's fear of being a father, the names she has chosen has blown me away. "They're perfect."

"Really?"

"Really." I smiled before kissing her.

"Do you want to hold one of them?" she asked.

I gave her an "ARE YOU INSANE?!" look because I was seriously terrified to hold either of them…no matter how much I wanted to. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Pick up one of your daughters right now." She snapped.

"Yes ma'am!" I jumped at her snippiness. I carefully lifted little Olivia off of Catherine's arms and cradled her in my arms. "They're beautiful…they have your skin tone, Catherine."

"And apparently your eyes." She smiled.

Because both of them were sleeping, I couldn't see their eyes. "What color do they have?"

"Gold." She replied.

"Catherine…there's something we need to discuss." I said in a serious manner.

"What's wrong?"

"Did Doctor William tell you that you need a blood transfusion?"

"Yes."

"Catherine, because J.T. does not have the right blood for you and the hospital's blood bank is completely dry of Type O, they'll be giving you my blood."

"Your blood?" she asked.

"Yes…But I told them I wouldn't consent to anything until I spoke with you first. If they give you my blood, there's no guarantee of what could happen. You may not ever be the same if you consent to this transfusion."

"Is the transfusion necessary?"

"Yes…according to Doctor William, it is."

"Then okay, I want you to donate your blood to me, Vincent." She said assertively.

"What? Even knowing the risks?"

"Vincent, if the doc says this transfusion is necessary than I want your blood to be donated to me. Yes, there may be side effects but I'm willing to risk it. I love you, Vincent, and not even a blood transfusion will destroy what I feel for you. Heck, I'm already living in hiding with you, and because of the twins, I'll be continuing to live in hiding until Muirfield either stops tracking us or we destroy them. So yes, I'm willing to receive your blood."

"Are you sure?"

"Vincent, I'm 100% positive."

Suddenly, we heard a knock on the door and William came walking in. "Have you two decided names for them?"

We nodded.

"Okay, well, we need to prep Catherine for her blood transfusion as well as draw your blood, Vincent…that is, if you have consented to undergo the procedure. The nurses are on their way to bring the twins back into the nursery. They will give you two cards, one for each daughter for you to write their names on them. Okay?"

We nodded and he left.

"Are you absolutely sure?" I asked.

"Yes, Vincent, I'll risk everything for you." She smiled and, at that moment, I couldn't be happier to see my new family together for the first time.

**Keiko Fujiwara: Note, I have no idea what blood types they all have so if I end up being wrong…sorry X3…. The ffic is winding down…I'm thinking about a few more chappies and that'll be it. :) Please review! **


	36. Chapter 36

**TWO MORE DAYS!**

**.**

**I WANT IT TO BE THURSDAY NOW! **

**Q~Q**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

**Keiko Fujiwara**

"_Okay, well, we need to prep Catherine for her blood transfusion as well as draw your blood, Vincent…that is, if you have consented to undergo the procedure. The nurses are on their way to bring the twins back into the nursery. They will give you two cards, one for each daughter for you to write their names on them. Okay?" _

_We nodded and he left. _

"_Are you absolutely sure?" I asked. _

"_Yes, Vincent, I'll risk everything for you." She smiled and, at that moment, I couldn't be happier to see my new family together for the first time._

**VINCENT**

Two hours have passed since the transfusion. Surprisingly, Catherine was recuperating quite nicely. Her blood levels were back to normal and, despite William's disbelief; her skin had already started healing.

"You're lucky, Dude. For all we know, we could have been dealing with Catzilla right now." J.T. stated, patting me on the back. "I just spoke with the doc and he believes she'll make a full recovery within the day. He doesn't understand it but he told me that he knows it had to do with your blood."

"What did he say next?" I asked, fearing that William would want to start using me as an experiment.

"He said he didn't want to know. He felt as if not knowing was the safest route for him." J.T. replied.

"Good…Smart decision." I stated before standing up. "I'm going to go see Catherine. Okay?"

"Yeah…okay…hey, while you and Cat enjoy having your second freak-fest of a family reunion, I'm going to go back to the warehouse and make it more….baby-friendly. Oh, and eventually, either we're going to have to find a different warehouse with more living space, or we're going to have to build an extension." J.T said.

"We'll figure it out." I chuckled at his choice of words. "You might as well take Tess with you. We don't need her missing any more work."

"On it." J.T. replied before disappearing down the corridor.

I made my way to Catherine's recovery room and smiled. Once again, she was holding our daughters in her arms.

"Could you take Vanessa?" she asked, "My arms are getting tired from holding both of them."

I laughed at her desperation as I gently lifted Vanessa from her right arm.

"How did you know which one she was?" Catherine asked with amusement.

"Although they're identical, they each have unique scents; similar but still different." I replied. After we named them, I memorized their scents. So, even if they ever play that switching trick, they won't be able to fool me."

Suddenly, her expression hardened. "Vincent…" she placed her hand on my arm.

"Hmmm?"

"What's going to happen to me now that I've been given a large dose of your blood?"

"In truth? I don't know. Nothing may happen." I replied. "By the way, the doctor said that you would be released tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I thought recovery was about four days or so." Catherine replied as she re-wrapped Olivia's blanket around her small body.

"Yeah…tomorrow. Apparently, receiving my blood gave you a fast recovery, as I had anticipated." I stated. "Also, J.T. went back to the warehouse to make it more baby-friendly. As he had said earlier, we'll either need to move to a bigger location or we need to expand the warehouse."

"I think we should expand the warehouse. I mean, it does have ample amount of space…It just needs some remodeling." She replied.

"Okay…we'll talk more about this later. Let's just focus on the two little ones right now." I stated before planting a small kiss on Vanessa's nose.

"I'm up for that." Catherine smiled.

When my DNA was changed, I never thought I would ever reach this point in my life where I'd actually be able to call myself a father. In fact, I never thought any part of this life was even possible. Yet, Catherine saw through all of that…Despite my inner-beast, she truly saw me for who I am—Vincent Keller.

**CATHERINE**

A day has passed and I was finally released. Vincent and I decided to go back to the safe haven until J.T. tells us the warehouse is ready…Luckily, he mentioned that he asked Sarah to help him with the decorating. No offence to J.T., but I was honestly very worried when he said he was going to make the warehouse baby-friendly. He had told Sarah that his sister (me), her boyfriend (Vincent) and her babies (the twins) are going to start living with him. Surprisingly, she bought it and started helping him as soon as she was off work.

Vincent and I spent at least a week or so at the safe haven. We were mostly spending time with our new little family but, whenever we had a break, we were sleeping…A LOT.

Vanessa and Olivia were definitely a handful. Despite their next to perfect super senses, they definitely were perfect at crying…and everything else babies do…except tenfold. Vincent, at times, blamed himself for their personalities…I told him he was speaking nonsense because there's no way his blood could have done anything to affect their behavior.

"Hey…I just thought of something…" I whispered in Vincent's ear as we gained a moment of silence. They were finally asleep.

"What?" he asked as we crept into our room with the baby monitor.

"Well…you gave me a large dose of your blood but nothing really happened aside from a fast recovery."

"And?"

"What if…because I apparently had no affect from your DNA-altered blood, my blood somehow created an antidote? I mean, if I had no symptoms, wouldn't that mean my body is somehow immune to your blood?"

**Keiko Fujiwara: I know…cliffy but I wanted to put this up before I leave my school. X3**


	37. Chapter 37

**TWO MORE DAYS!**

**.**

**I WANT IT TO BE THURSDAY NOW! **

**Q~Q**

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by: **

"_Hey…I just thought of something…" I whispered in Vincent's ear as we gained a moment of silence. They were finally asleep. _

"_What?" he asked as we crept into our room with the baby monitor. _

"_Well…you gave me a large dose of your blood but nothing really happened aside from a fast recovery." _

"_And?" _

"_What if…because I apparently had no affect from your DNA-altered blood, my blood somehow created an antidote? I mean, if I had no symptoms, wouldn't that mean my body is somehow immune to your blood?" _

**J.T.**

"Thanks, Sarah…I think my sister and her boyfriend and their twin daughters are going to love the new look to the warehouse."

"Not a problem! I'm glad I could help! But, you aren't off the hook, J.T. Forbes. Remember, you promised me dinner!" Sarah winked before driving off.

I turned back around and looked back inside of the warehouse, actually proud of the new look. Over the course of a few weeks, Sarah and I were able to create a small nursery over in the opposite corner from where Vincent's…and I guess now Cat's bed is. I was able to buy a rather large crib for the twinsies to share as well as a few baby trinkets and all that typical baby stuff parents' need.

It felt a little weird but cool at the same time. I mean, I'm practically an uncle…

Suddenly, I heard voices coming from the lower level.

The Keller-Chandler gang is finally back. I rushed down the stairs. "It's about time you guys came back! I was seriously going to start playing with the toys I bought if you didn't hurry yourselves over here."

"Hey J.T." Vincent said.

"Woah…you and Cat look like you could use a week's amount of sleep." I said.

"I think if we slept for an entire month, we still wouldn't be able to catch up on the sleep we've lost. I have to say, J.T., now that Vanessa and Olivia's favorite uncle is here, their parents are going to take advantage of that little fact." Vincent replied as he handed me Vanessa.

"Wait…but I don't know anything about kids. I just know how to spoil."

"He's right, Vincent. I hate to say this but until J.T. undergoes training, I don't feel comfortable leaving the twins in his care." Cat replied.

"Yeah…listen to Cat." I said.

Suddenly Cat smiled.  
"What?" I asked.

"How did those words taste?"

"What words?"

"You know, when you told Vincent to listen to me."

"Oh…um…well…it's definitely a taste I wouldn't have too often." I replied.

"Anyways," Cat said, "I think we should go and see my family, Vincent. I know I made a decision to cut ties with them but…plans have changed. I know this is risky but I have to get back to work…I think if I tell my family that the reason I left them was because I was pregnant, they wouldn't be so pissed."

"Wait a minute. I say that's a bad idea." I said.

"What else is new?" Cat replied. "Look, Vincent, we could use the extra help. J.T. is gone most of the day and I know I wouldn't be able to start a full shift of work right away but it wouldn't hurt to start working a few hours a day."

"What about Muirfield?" Vincent asked.

"I can tell you one thing, if Muirfield even thinks about laying a finger on either one of our daughters, they have another thing coming. Please, Vincent?"

"Alright…but they mustn't know where we live, Catherine. If ever they want to see the girls, we will have to bring them over." Vincent replied.

"Thank you!" Catherine exclaimed, giving Vincent a peck on the cheek.

Suddenly Vincent said, "Why don't you give them a call. J.T. and I need to talk about what we discussed."

"Okay!" Cat replied, handing Olivia to Vincent.

As she disappeared, I said, "Talk about what?"

"Catherine came up with a very plausible theory a few days ago." Vincent said.

"Which is…?"

"Well…you know how she received a large dose of my blood a few weeks back?"

"Yeah…?"

"As you could see, aside from a rapid healing process, she wasn't affected from my DNA. Catherine believes that since her blood didn't react to mine, her blood may be an antidote of some kind."

I stared at him in bewilderment. "You're telling me, Cat—the girl who doesn't know squat about Biology and Anatomy—suddenly formulates this beyond genius hypothesis?!"

"Yeah." Vincent grinned.

"Well…before we do any tests on you, I think it is safe to say that if we start with a vial of your blood and inject some of her blood into it, we'll be able to observe the results." I replied.

Suddenly, Cat came back and said, "Heather answered…at first she was shocked to hear from me but then was glad to hear I was doing well."

"Did you tell her why you called?" Vincent asked.

"No…I told her that I wanted to come by tomorrow because I had a few surprises. One, being you, Vincent and the other, of course, the twins." Cat smiled.

"Good." Vincent replied.

"Why don't you two go check the upstairs out. I heard someone did a really great job on the new installments." I said with pride.

The couple nodded and walked up the stairs as I, along with little Vanessa, followed shortly behind.

And let me tell you one thing, they were ecstatic. In fact, Vincent said he saw me in a whole new light now. How's that for best Uncle of the year? Huh?

VINCENT

A few weeks have past and everything seemed to be going rather smoothly. Catherine's family was indeed shocked by her sudden surprises but, in the end, they were accepting. As soon as we had time to, J.T. and I started testing out Catherine's theory and, after seeing positive results, we injected the first dose of her blood into my body today. Now, only time will tell.

"Vincent…for reasons I don't know why, my father wants to speak with you. He says it's rather urgent." Catherine said, walking back from the phone.

"Does he just want me?" I asked. Well, this is a bit weird. I've only met the guy about two times. I wonder what he could one.

"No…he actually wants to see the both of us."

"Where? When?"

"As soon as possible." She replied.

"Okay…well, I guess let's go over there now. We have nothing but time on our hands." I said. "Besides, we need to pick up Vanessa and Olivia from your father's house anyways."

"Right..."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." She lied but I allowed it to pass.

I think Catherine has a right to worry…Her father is a lawyer and he's capable of getting his hands on certain information if he wanted it. I hope he's not confronting us over what I think he'll be confronting us over. Something tells me this is a bad idea…

**I know…short…but like I said, the story is winding down a bit. Hopefully next chapter would be a bit more interesting. **


	38. Chapter 38

**First and foremost, I would like to say that my heart is out there for the tragedy that struck Connecticut today!**

* * *

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

**Written by:Keiko Fujiwara**

* * *

_I think Catherine has a right to worry…Her father is a lawyer and he's capable of getting his hands on certain information if he wanted it. I hope he's not confronting us over what I think he'll be confronting us over. Something tells me this is a bad idea…_

* * *

**VINCENT**

"Come on in!" Heather exclaimed after we knocked on the Chandlers' door. "Dad is waiting in the family room. Cat, he wants to speak to Vincent alone first before he speaks to the both of you."

"Oh…Okay." Catherine replied. I kissed her before making my way to the family room as Catherine followed Heather into the newly installed playroom.

"Ah…Vincent. Come, take a seat." Thomas Chandler smiled as I entered the family room. I took a seat across from him as I shook his hand.

"Hello Mr. Chandler."

"Vincent, you're basically family now. You don't need to call me Mr. Chandler. Just call me Tom."

"Alright, Tom. What is it you would like to speak to me about?"

"As you know, I am one of the best attorneys in New York. Because of my profession, I cannot help but be worried for my daughters when men enter their lives. I did a background check on you, Vincent, and to my surprise, you have a death certificate."

"Sir…I can explain."

"I'm not going to bite you for it, Vincent. I know there's a reason for everything so there must be a reason you faked your death. Is Catherine aware of this fact?"

"Yes. She knew it from the beginning." I replied.

"Now, I'm sure someday you wish to marry my daughter and work again in order to provide for your family. Am I wrong?"

"No Sir. I would very much like that but, as you already know, it is a little bit difficult in my predicament."

"That is what I would like to talk to you about. You see, I noticed you enlisted into the army shortly after the tragedy of 9-11. I also noticed that you were enlisted in the same platoon my deceased wife was working for in Afghanistan. I don't know exactly what Vanessa was doing while she was overseas but I knew it had to do with the government and I believe, because of what she was working on, she was killed for it. This is where you come in, Vincent. Answer one question; do you know what Vanessa was working on while in Afghanistan?"

"Yes sir."

"Does it have to do with the fact that you're in hiding?"

"It does."

"Let me make you a deal. You tell me everything you know about why my former wife, Vanessa, was killed and I'll help you gain your life back by representing your case. Will you take up my offer?"

"Having a life again is something I've been dreaming of for years, Tom, but before I consent to anything, I want to talk it over with Catherine."

"Take your time, Vincent. In the meantime, I promise I will not say anything about your predicament to anyone. Whether you choose to tell me or not, it's up to you."

I tensed, remembering exactly who we'd be up against.  
"Are you alright, Vincent? You seem agitated."

"I…if Catherine and I decide to take your deal, I'm worried about the group we'd be up against. They have powerful resources and will do anything to get what they want."

"You need not worry about that, Vincent. I also have powerful resources and if this group has anything to do with my wife's murder, I will bring them down but I can't do that without your help. You know things I don't…things that would be useful for a lawsuit. I want to give the justice Vanessa deserves. Please think about my offer carefully and I'm glad you want to include Catherine in your decisions. If I knew that she was aware of your situation, I would have asked her to come in as well." Tom said.

"I promise I will get in touch with you as soon as we discuss it." I stated. "Do you wish for me to send for Catherine?"

"No…that's quite alright. I'll talk to her another time. I have a date to get ready for so you make yourself at home and stay a while. I'm sure Heather would love the company. She adores Vanessa and Olivia."

"Thank you, Tom." I replied as I shook his hand. Without further ado, I went back to Catherine with a huge smile on my face.

* * *

**CATHERINE**

While Vincent and Dad were talking, Heather and I had a little sister bonding time.

"Cat, why were you in hiding all of this time?" Heather asked as she burped Olivia.

"I told you, Heather, I went into hiding because I became pregnant. I wasn't sure how you and Dad would respond so I decided to keep it quiet." I lied. I hate lying to my sister. I feel like she doesn't even know me anymore.

"Oh well…It doesn't really matter I guess. I'm just glad you told us when you did. I would hate you forever if you deprived me of my spoiling aunt privileges." She laughed, rubbing her nose against Olivia's nose. "They're sooooo adorable, Catherine. Really."

I laughed at how pathetic my sister can get when it comes to little children. She's always had a soft side for them. Talking to Heather now reminds me of the day I brought Vincent and the girls over for the first time.

* * *

**~FLASHBACK~**

"_Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, what if they don't like you?" I asked Vincent as we rang the doorbell. _

"_Catherine, calm down. We'll take it one second at a time." He replied as the door opened. _

_Heather. _

"_Oh my." Heather's eyes widened. "Dad! Cat's here! With company as well!" _

_Dad made his way into the foyer and saw me, Vincent, Olivia and Vanessa. "When Heather said you'd be bringing a few surprises, this was the last thing on my list I would have pegged you for." _

"_Hi Dad." I said. "This is Vincent; my…my boyfriend and these two little ones are our daughters, Vanessa and Olivia." _

"_I wasn't aware you were seeing someone…" Dad said. _

"_Yeah…I have…for a while actually." _

"_They're so adorable, Cat! Can I touch them?!" Heather exclaimed. _

_I laughed and said, "You can do better. Why don't you take Vanessa from my arms so I can rest them?" _

"_Really?!" _

"_Really." I smiled as I handed her Vanessa. _

_Heather brought Vanessa inside the house while Dad just stared at us. _

"_I'm sorry Dad for disconnecting myself from my family. I was scared and didn't know what to do. I left because I was pregnant…" I started coming up with excuses to earn my father's approval back. _

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, he drops his briefcase and wraps his arms around me. "Thank goodness you're alright!"_

"_I c-called…Did Heather not tell you?" _

"_She did but seeing and knowing are two different things. I was so worried about you, Catherine Elizabeth Chandler!" _

"_I know, Dad. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have exiled you like that. It was selfish." I replied as he released me. "You wanna hold her? Olivia?" _

_He nodded and Vincent gently handed her over to him. "She's beautiful…along with her sister, Catherine. I can definitely see you in both of them. Come on in, lunch is about to be served." _

_Vincent and I followed my father into the house as he said, "I have to say, they have very unique eye colors. A trait from their father?" _

_Vincent and I both nodded, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions relating to their appearances. Both girls have their father's hair color and angry-eye color. They have my skin complexion and facial features—aside from the eye color of course. Despite what anyone might say about their eye color, Vincent and I think they're very beautiful girls. Their eye color just proves that the beast is a part of Vincent because, like it or not, the beast is somewhat a part of the girls too. _

"_Cat! I think someone wants a diaper change!" Heather called from her bedroom. _

"_Coming!" I replied as I made my way towards her._

* * *

**~END OF FLASHBACK~**

"Earth to Cat! Caaaaat?!"

Suddenly I heard my sister calling my name as she waved her fingers in front of my face.

"You need to learn to stop being so spacey. That's not a good trait In a mother of newborns." Heather said.

"I guess you're right." I laughed as I felt Vincent wrap his arms around me from behind.

"You're father has a date but he said for us to make ourselves at home for a while." Vincent smiled.

"Okay."

"What did he talk about?" I asked, not knowing if it was a great discussion or a horrible one; but by the look on his face, I think I can put my mind to rest.

* * *

**Keiko Fujiwara: Well? What did ya think!? On a request, I added the flashback. So in case there were other readers wanting to know what happened, I added it. By the way, I don't know what Catherine's middle name is. So I thought Elizabeth had a nice ring to it. **

**Anyways, I hope you loved last night's episode as much as I did! **


	39. Chapter 39

***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

**To Feel Normal Again**

_**Written by: **_

"_Earth to Cat! Caaaaat?!" _

_Suddenly I heard my sister calling my name as she waved her fingers in front of my face. _

"_You need to learn to stop being so spacey. That's not a good trait in a mother of newborns." Heather said. _

"_I guess you're right." I laughed as I felt Vincent wrap his arms around me from behind. _

"_You're father has a date but he said for us to make ourselves at home for a while." Vincent smiled. _

"_Okay." _

"_What did he talk about?" I asked, not knowing if it was a great discussion or a horrible one; but by the look on his face, I think I can put my mind to rest. _

**VINCENT**

I decided it was best not to discuss her father's offer while we were still visiting Heather. The less people to know about it, the better.

We eventually left the Chandler residence and made our way back to the warehouse. As we pulled into the warehouse's parking lot, I mentally slapped myself. J.T. There's no way I can discuss this with Catherine without J.T. I mean, he has been the one keeping me hidden for all these years—I would be a horrible friend if I didn't discuss this matter with him too.

We put the girls down for their second nap time before I whispered, "We need to talk…"

"Okay…What about?" she asked as she kept her eyes on our daughters.

"Not without J.T." I replied. "He's downstairs watching T.V."

"Okay, well the girls have just fallen asleep so we can go downstairs now. I'll bring the baby monitor." She smiled as she grabbed the tiny monitor.

We walked down the stairs and J.T. said, "How was the visit with the fam?"

"It went alright. Heather simply adores the girls." Catherine replied as we sat down on the couch.

"Okay…something tells me you two didn't come down here to enjoy a game of football." J.T. stated as he raised an eyebrow. "Got a question for ya. Will I need to acquire a bottle of Tums before we talk?"

"It might be handy." I replied.

J.T. stood up and walked towards the small medicine cabinet designated to J.T.'s freak-out attacks. He grabbed the bottle and sat back down. "Alright, might as well tell me now while I am still calm."

"J.T….Catherine…there's something we need to discuss." I started saying.

"Dude, we get that. That's why I brought over the Tums." J.T. interrupted but Catherine glared at him to shut up. "Please, continue."

"As you both know, Catherine and I went to her father's house. Her father knows who I am."

"You told him!?" J.T. shouted.

"No! Well, he doesn't know exactly who I am. I mean, he doesn't know about the Hulk side of me. All he knows is that my reason for hiding is connected with Vanessa's—Catherine's mother—death. He said he did a background check and noticed I have a death certificate."

"Oh. My. Gosh. We have to move NOW!" J.T. exclaimed.

"Calm down, J.T. It's alright. Tom has asked me to tell him my story because he wants to bring justice to Vanessa's death. He said he would represent me in the case but there can't be a case without me since I know everything he needs to know for a lawsuit. I told him I would discuss it first with Catherine…and you, J.T….before I make a decision. He told me that he will bring Muirfield down and will pull strings so Catherine and I can have a future together—so that I can have my old job back. What do you guys think?"

"I think it's too risky. If Muirfield finds out about this, they'll kill Cat's father." J.T. stated. "Then, they'll find you and well, the rest is pretty self-explanatory."

"What about you, Catherine?" I looked at her, hoping for some support.

"I think…We should at least tell my father what happened so he knows who he's up against. My father is a grown man and can make his own decisions—just like my mother did. If he wants to continue pursuing this case, then I know, for a fact, he will do EVERYTHING he can to bring down Muirfield. I don't think Muirfield would have my father killed if this lawsuit was opened. Muirfield has done everything they can to hide their company, as Vincent has said before. If a lawsuit is pressed against them, they're not going to kill my father because that would make them even more guilty—as well as suspicious. I know this might seem selfish to you, J.T., but I want the best for Vincent's and my daughters. I don't want them to grow into a world where they'd have to hide and watch their every move."

"It seems like I'm outnumbered—again. What else is new?" J.T. threw his hands up. "Vincent, if you decide to take Catherine's father's offer, then I want you to get those SOB's! There will be NO backing out of this one, Man. But, remember, Muirfield will say whatever they can in order to lock you up. You better make sure Catherine's blood did the trick before you consent to this because, if you don't have control over your Beast-mode, Muirfield will make sure you are either killed or locked up."

"I understand."

"Good…now, maybe we should conduct some tests before you give Daddy Chandler a call." J.T. suggested as he stood up. "I'm going to go get the tranq-guns. If we're going to try and get you mad, we're going to need all of the backup we can get."

J.T. disappeared up the stairs and Catherine kissed my forehead. "Remember, Vincent, I'll always support your decisions—no matter how rash they may seem."

"Thanks, Catherine."

J.T. came back down and said, "Alright, break it up Love Birds. We've gotta find a way to pump Vincent's adrenaline. Soooooo what can we do to make him angry? Wait, weird question, do you ever Hulkify while having sex?"

"No, J.T.! Honestly, if I did, I probably wouldn't allow myself to be with Catherine."

"Good point…The question is, then, how to boost your adrenaline."

"We could…somewhat endanger my life…" Catherine suggested.

"What?! No!" I immediately replied. "There's no way I'm going to consent to that!"

"Well—how else are we supposed to test the results? You seem to always change when I'm in danger."

"Yeah but knowing it is a fake test won't help me. Besides, if I don't change due to the adrenaline, it would be a problem."

"Uhhhh…I got a weird idea…" J.T. said, interrupting our little fight.

"What?" we both replied.

"What if…well…Vincent, whenever you change, it is normally involuntary. What if, we try it where you change on demand? If you can change on demand, then your adrenaline thing won't be an issue."

"It's worth a shot." Catherine smiled. "Now, Change!"

"Cat—I didn't say that you could demand him to change. He has to command himself." J.T. rolled his eyes.

"Alright…stand back just in case." I stated. "Here goes nothing."

**Keiko Fujiwara: Just a short chapter to appease the readers. More will be on the way. :D**


	40. Chapter 40

_**NOTE:  
I want to thank you so much for reading and reviewing my first BATB story! It has been fun writing this one for this will be the last chapter. I haven't decided if there will be a sequel or not but, for the time being, I want to focus on my other BATB Fanfic! Best of luck to every Beastie out there! **_

**:D**

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***Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the beautiful and wonderful series, Beauty and the Beast. **

**CW does. **

**:'(**

* * *

**To Feel Normal Again**

_**Written by: **_

**Keiko Fujiwara**

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"_What if…well…Vincent, whenever you change, it is normally involuntary. What if, we try it where you change on demand? If you can change on demand, then your adrenaline thing won't be an issue." _

"_It's worth a shot." Catherine smiled. "Now, Change!" _

"_Cat—I didn't say that you could demand him to change. He has to command himself." J.T. rolled his eyes. _

"_Alright…stand back just in case." I stated. "Here goes nothing." _

**CATHERINE**

Vincent's muscles began to ripple and his body started changing from man to beast; my beast. As he continued to transform, I cautiously walked towards him, showing him my support even though he warned J.T. and me to stand back.

As he tried to change, I could tell it was very painful for him.

"Vincent, stop! You're hurting yourself!" I shouted as I ran closer to him.

In an instant, his body shifted back to human and he was sweating and breathing rapidly.

"Why didn't it work?" he asked.

"I think, if you give it time, it will eventually work." J.T. suddenly said. "It was clear you were shifting alright but, because your body is not used to shifting on demand, your transformation was painful and not complete. Like I said, if you train your body and mind to transform every day, you should be able to endure the pain within a few weeks."

I started to rub Vincent's back for support and said, "Vincent, it's okay. You don't have to have this in control in one sitting. Like J.T. said, in due time, you'll be able to gain control of your transformation."

"That's fine and great but that still doesn't mean I won't transform when I get angry." He replied as we took a seat on the nearby couch.

"Like you keep telling me, Vincent, we'll take it one day at a time. Alright?"

He nodded and then said, "Call your father. Tell him we'll take his offer."

"Okay. I will." I answered before pulling out my phone to dial his number.

_Ring. Ring Ri—_

"Hello?" my father answered.

"Hi Dad. It's me, Catherine."

"Oh, hello! I'm assuming you and Vincent have considered my offer?"

"Yes, Dad, we have. We've decided on first telling you the entire story. Only then, if you still want to pursue this case, we'll go along with it. If you don't, we'll be okay with that too."

"Thanks, Catherine. Where can we meet?"

"How about we meet each other for brunch tomorrow at your place?" I suggested.  
"Sounds great. See you then. Oh! And bring the girls. They'll keep Heather busy while we talk tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan. Listen, I have to go but we'll see you tomorrow, Dad."

"See ya."

I ended the call but didn't tell Vincent what my father said, knowing he heard it anyways. Suddenly he whispered, "Vanessa's crying…I think she may be hungry."

"Okay. I'll be back." I kissed his cheek before running up the stairs.

As I walked towards Vanessa and Olivia's crib, I slipped off my shirt and unhooked my bra. I picked up Vanessa and then reached for a blanket before sitting down in a rocking chair. As I breastfed her, Vincent walked in and smiled.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked.

"I know I've said this before but ten years ago, I never would have thought this life would be possible for me." He stated. "But here we are."

"Here we are." I replied as I handed Vincent Vanessa before scooping up Olivia for her dinnertime.

As I fed Olivia, Vincent rocked Vanessa back and forth, cooing to her. I never thought I would ever see this side of him but the more I watched him, the more I became fascinated with the idea of him being a father. It was such a turn on.

After a while, I placed Olivia back into the crib and Vincent gently laid Vanessa next to her sister. We got ourselves ready for bed and soon enough, we were lying in each other's arms; ready for the night to claim us.

Suddenly, Vincent whispered in my ear, "Even if I can never fully control my…situation…I've never been happier, Catherine."

"Vincent…I love you for who you are. Even if you will never completely control your other half, I don't care because I'll go wherever you go. I promise I'm not leaving, Vincent. You've blessed me with a family—something, I think we both never anticipated, but I'm grateful for Vanessa and Olivia. I have a feeling my father will take on your case, and when he does, he will bring down Muirfield. Trust me, I know my father and when he wants to take a company down, he does it with full force. Vincent, I have faith and I know, one day, you'll be able to be a doctor again and we would eventually be able to marry."

"Nothing would be a greater honor than to marry you, Catherine Chandler." He whispered.

"Is that a proposal?" I smirked before he brought his lips down against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close to me. "We'll get through this, Vincent. One way or another, we'll get through this. I want you to know that, if my father doesn't bring Muirfield down, I'll still be with you. I might have to consider taking my job back up again but I wouldn't leave you for a second."

He brushed a few strands of hair away from my face and kissed me just before saying, "I wasn't counting on it." Once again, he brought his lips to mine as his hands started roaming my body.

"It may…..take some time….but I think…..I'm finally…..starting…to feel…..normal…again." Vincent whispered during our mini kissing breaks.

I paused from kissing him for a moment and laughed.

"What?" he grinned, obviously intrigued that I find his words amusing.

"Vincent, you wanna know something?" I asked in a seducing voice.

"What?" he whispered, his warm breath tickling my face.

"Normal is overrated." I smirked before bringing him in for a kiss. I finally realized just what affect Vincent has on me when he kisses me and when he makes love with me. He makes me feel beautiful—something no other man in my life has ever done before. Who needs normal when I have Vincent?

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**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**I know…sad…this fanfiction is over…BUT NEVER FEAR! I have decided to write a sequel! :)**

**It'll be about the lawsuit…I won't be able to start on it for some time because, Heh, well, I wanna focus on my other ffic!  
**

**But…Watch for the sequel, ****To Live Life Again. **

**Thank you sooooo much for all of the reviews and I hope you choose to re-read this fanfiction in the future! :D**


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